Cherry Blossom Alternative
by Winged Lady Colette
Summary: Sakura Haruno is given the mission of protecting Asura and Indra's reincarnations; Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. AU
1. Away

**Author's Note: Yes, I know, I shouldn't be writing another story, but this idea came to me and I just can't stop thinking about it. My brother's visit is ending tomorrow so I'm writing this tonight because I'm a night owl. Haha! Anyway, I'm open to pairings and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'm going to bed now. Let me know what you think! Goodnight!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 4,229**

Sakura pulls the heavy bundles of clothes around herself tightly, to block out the chill of the air around her. She watches as Hinata tries, once again, to speak to Naruto, but as usual, he is surrounded by people and the lilac eyed young woman is just too timid to try and speak out against the horde of people. It's only now that Naruto is a big hero that people love and admire him. That they feel like they can now openly show affection to him. The person they had once called a monster and a demon.

Now they are all over him in a good way. It was so fake and made Sakura frown. She just couldn't watch. Naruto is adorably bashful, as Sakura expected him to be, but the only one who deeply and truly loved Naruto all of this time, whether he was the social outcast or the hero, was Hinata. Sakura felt bad that Naruto couldn't really see her. Not now, not surrounded by so many people.

Sakura lets out a long winded sigh, watching from a distance as Hinata slinks away into the darkness once more, her shoulder bowed in defeat. Sakura's heat goes out to the purple haired girl and hopes that she gets her chance soon and Naruto realizes that she's the real thing. But Sakura's going to try hard not to get involved with their love life, even though she wants to.

Sakura would love to slap Naruto upside the head and tell him to _look_ at Hinata, but she doesn't feel it's her place. For a few reasons. The first being that this is the final test. This is the last test for her to pass in order to finally gain Naruto's affection. She has to swallow her fear, build up her backbone and just admit her feelings for him. Not in the heat of the moment or when he's about to die, like when they were fighting against Pein. There was too much going on, of course Naruto's short attention span wouldn't be able to process something like that.

So now she has to do it. She has to get Naruto's attention, look his right in the eye, and tell him she loved him. Then let the chips fall as they may. She can't let anything get in her way anymore. She's got to man up.

The other reason would be because Sakura didn't really have much control over her own love life. Once again, Sasuke has left the Hidden Leaf, this time promising to return once he found some kind of purpose in life. He gave her a quirky smile before poking her in the forehead and left. Again. While he was given leeway, allowed to leave by the Leaf, he was still just leaving.

Sakura offered to go with, so that they could finally be together. Sakura even promised herself that this would be it. She would try one more time to be with him, and if he wasn't ready to be with her, she would let him go. She would stop annoying him, as he had been telling her she was doing to him for years. She would let him go and move on.

And again, like every time before, he shot her down. He broke her heart once more, but this time he offered her a cute smile. Sakura was flush faced looking into his happy smile, thinking that this meant that when he was ready, he would return to her.

Sakura was a fool. The more that she thought about it, the more she began to realize what that smile meant.

He wasn't happy about her, but at the prospect of leaving. Not her, she's not pretentious enough to believe that it was all about her. But he was happy to be leaving the Leaf because it's obvious to him, and now her, that what he truly seeks in this world, isn't in the Hidden Leaf Village. If Sasuke ever did return to her, it was only because he couldn't find what he was looking for.

Sasuke has made it so completely and thoroughly clear to Sakura.

Since then, about two years, Sakura has been floating. She's been working, taking missions, hanging out with her friends and dating, a very minute bit of dating, but hasn't really found that person that can make her heart pound quite like Sasuke used to. Or, what she thought Sasuke's presence used to do to her heart. Sakura is beginning to wonder if she was ever really in love with Sasuke.

For so long, all Sakura wanted as a child was to be like all the other girls. She wanted to be recognized by them as one of them. Without Ino, Sakura never would have had to courage to finally watch the other girls with clear eyes. She finally saw what made a lot of them the same. They all loved the Uchiha boy. Sakura will admit that she found him cute, but she wouldn't say she loved him. Not until years later, when she finally got to know more about him and see him in all kinds of different lights.

When he was going to leave the Leaf the first time, Sakura did love him. Or maybe she fooled herself into believing that was true. Sakura didn't really know anymore, honestly.

Sakura no longer knew what she wanted or how she wanted to feel. The only thing she did know, was that her and Sasuke just weren't meant to be. Maybe they could have been together, had things somehow been different, but it is obvious now that it can't happen. At least, the way they are now.

Sakura leans against the side of one of the buildings, leaning her forehead against the hardwood. She closes her eyes tightly and letting out a long winded sigh. She really had no real direction in her life. She can't very well be giving out a lot of love advice in her situation. To be honest, Sakura isn't even sure that she's ever been in love before.

But maybe that's just a bit of theatrics on her part.

Sakura lets out a deep sigh, the cold hair having burned her lungs. She reaches up and runs her fingers through her short pink hair, looking down at her shoe imprints in the snow. Sakura steps back, away from the building, and back onto the near barren streets. She heads down the road, to home, letting her feet drag a bit.

Once Sakura makes it home, her parents are in the kitchen, her mom is complaining about something while her father is just humming in agreement every couple of moments. Sakura cast a half glance into the kitchen to see her mother pacing while her dad was sitting at the dinning room table, watching her, before Sakura headed up the stairs, down the hall and into her room. She closes the door softly behind herself before stripping down and into long fluffy pants and a big t-shirt. She falls onto her bed, face down, and closes her eyes.

Sakura pulls herself normally onto her bed, curling up on her side and closing her eyes. She's nineteen years old. She's going to have to move out soon. She's already got a location picked out and her room is pretty cleared up with a few boxes in the corner. She's ready to finally be on her own, ready for the privacy and to just be able to do what she'd like.

Sakura's life is becoming tense. In the sense that she's beginning to lose purpose. She still works at the hospital and there will always be people who need healing, but there is just something not right about the situation. Now that there is peace between the Five Great Nations, very little goes on with all of the smaller nations. No one wants to upset the mighty alliance. No one wants to be on the tail end of that.

So there is nothing that a medical shinobi like Sakura is really needed for anymore. Sure, there will always be missions and there will always be rogues, but something just doesn't add up anymore. Some things just don't have any more meaning.

The pink haired girl sits up slowly, looking over at her bedroom window. It's snowing again, the white specs falling to the world slowly. Sakura lays down again, this time with the ability to view outside the window.

Sakura watches the snowflakes fall until her eyes slip closed and she falls asleep.

* * *

Hinabi was kidnapped by some guy named Toneri. Sakura offered to go with Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai and Hinata to search for her. They fell through a lake that Hinata couldn't exactly see through because of some form of distortion. The lake wasn't actually made of water, Sai quickly alerted them, for it was impossible to get wet from it, but when they jumped in, they were immediately immersed into a genjutsu. A powerful one. Sakura was able to dispel the genjutsu cast on all of them when Toneri showed up with Hinabi's eyes, asking Hinata to wed him.

Sakura didn't get to see a lot of what went down between Toneri, Hinata and Naruto, because Sai, Shikamaru and herself had to fight off a huge fucking crab thing. The gatekeeper, she's come to learn. It guarded the passaged way to the moon. To what appeared to be a civilization just beneath the moon's surface. This place had everything. Buildings, running water and even a sun. Real or not, it was greatly impressive.

They all split up in search of clues as to Hinabi's whereabouts.

Sakura came across what looked to be a drain missing it's cover but there is a shrine with a statue of a man that looked... kind of like Hagoromo Otsutsuki in front of it. Somehow, Sakura didn't know how, but somehow she knew, in the back of her mind, that this was someone closely related to Hagoromo. Sakura tilts her head to the side, stepping closer to the statue to give it a better look.

There is just something about it that she can't take her eyes off of. Something just keeps compelling her to come closer.

Sakura takes another step closer to the statue. Only her foot didn't land on anything, just open air and before Sakura knew it, that little drain, about the size of her forearm, expands big enough to swallow her whole. Sakura's scream is covered up by darkness as Sakura descends into the abyss. Sakura claws at the air around her, trying to see through the blackness.

Sakura has no idea how long she fell or how far, but she must have hit her head somehow and was knocked out cold. Sakura had some kind of dream. She was standing before the statue in darkness. There was nothing but Sakura and the statue, but it was life sized this time. It floated in front of her and even though it was made of stone, there was something about it that just seemed so alive.

"Who are you?" Sakura asks, half expecting that she might be going crazy.

 **Hamura.**

Sakura jolts, eyes widening in surprise. She looks around the blackness for a moment. It wasn't like a voice that spoke to her. But some kind of feeling that Sakura got in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes settle onto the statue once more.

"Hamura?" Sakura says slowly. "I don't know who that is."

 **I need you to look after my nephews.**

Sakura's eyebrows pull together. "Nephews? Who's that?"

 **Asura and Indra.**

Sakura's eyes widen. "Wait, so you're Hagoromo Otsutsuki's brother? Asura and Indra's uncle?" She shakes her head slowly, unable to believe that. So, then Toneri must be an Otsutsuki, being up on the moon. While Hagoromo created the moon to be his mother's prison, Hamura must be the jailor. It's all starting to make sense now.

Then, his words make sense in her mind.

"Wait, is something wrong with Naruto and Sasuke?" Sakura floats a bit closer to the statue.

 **Not those reincarnations. The ones that proceeded them.**

Sakura's eyes flitter around the darkness for a moment. "Do you mean... the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha?" Her eyes land on the statue once again. "What do they have to do with anything?"

 **You are unique. You can be handled through time.**

Sakura shakes her head. "I don't know what that means. And you didn't exactly answer my question."

 **All things connect in threads. Times, places, people, events. Everything is somehow connected one way or another. This is just another one of those points. You are malleable. You can bend with time.**

Sakura frowns at that. "That doesn't make any sense. I don't know what you're asking of me."

 **Asura and Indra hold much power, in all forms they take. But there is something lost in all the timelines. Something that changes, but stays constant, one way or another.**

"And that is?"

 **You have been, and always will be, at their side.**

"Is this my destiny?" Sakura asks, voice stained. She didn't understand. "I'm suppose to do what? Go back in time? That's crazy! And if I'm suppose to be with them, one way or another, aren't I already there? And let's just say I believe in the multi-verse theory, aren't I already this Asura and Indra's... uh, whatever. In the form of Naruto and Sasuke. What about them?"

 **A new you will take your place. The essential part of your mission with them is over. You reunited Asura and Indra once more. They are closer now than they have ever been in any timeline before.**

Sakura sighs. Of course they were closer together than ever before. That was just her luck. While she appreciated that they were getting along, she sort of wished that she could be invited into that circle of friendship, but as far as she's concerned, she's an outsider. Naruto is kind, always has been. His level of annoying-ness has decreased immensely as he's aged, but Sasuke couldn't see more through her if she was invisible.

"How in the world am I suppose to help Madara Uchiha and Lord First? Are you suggesting that I... what? Go back in time? What about Hinabi? She needs help."

 **Hinabi will be fine with my descendent. Both of them. Something has happened to the you in a different timeline.**

"What's that?"

 **You were killed. Young.**

Sakura's eyebrows raise. "Oh, okay..." A pause. "And who was I?"

 **Someone they once knew.**

"Wouldn't that be weird that I would just reappear again?" Sakura asks incredulously. "Smart men like that would be extremely weary of meeting up with someone who is dead, now alive again."

 **They don't know you died. Just that you vanished. You are still you. Just a different timeline. A different life. All you hold bit of fundamental aspects the same. When and if the time comes, you will see that.**

"What does that mean?" Sakura asks, eyebrows pulling together tightly.

 **Not now. Maybe not ever. Just protect my nephews, as you've always done. Thank you, and good luck.**

"Wait!" Sakura calls, reaching out toward the statue as if begins to fade away. "Wait! I don't want to go! What about Naruto? What about Konoha? What about my life here?"

 **It will all be okay. Just follow your instincts. You are the only one who can save them, Sakura. You always have been. Good luck.**

Everything fades into the blackness.

* * *

Sakura opens her eyes slowly, head pounding, body aching. Her vision is blurry but she knows she's in a room, a large and cold one, but there is dozens of candles all around the cold room, offering just a bit of warmth. Not enough to make a difference, but Sakura wasn't in her usual clothes. She was in a glittering, shining kimono with lots of beads and jewelry hanging off of her in one form or another. Even as she moves her head, her neck aching, she can hear things clanking around in her hair, intertwined with the strands.

She was hanging from the ceiling by a rope around her wrists, now those ached terribly, and had to be somewhere near the center of the room. As Sakura's vision cleared, she began to notice that there is some kind of alter built around her. Her feet don't even touch the ground.

Sakura does a quick survey of her injuries. Nothing serious. Just aches and pains from the strange way she's been held up, she's parched and a bit malnourished, but other than that, she's okay.

Sakura looks up at the knot tied around her wrists, spinning the joints around a bit trying to get the blood to flow back into them before using her arms to list her body weight closer to the knot and begins pulling her hands apart from one another, straining them against the rope. Hard. The rope rubs against her skin a bit, making the cold skin hotter.

Lack of blood flow to her arms makes it hard for her to muster any strength.

Sakura takes a few low, deep breaths, before pulling hard again, straining her muscles. She pushes her chakra to her arms, which is a lot harder since she can't really feel her arms, and uses it to enhance her strength. Thankfully, the rope yields and snaps, setting her free. Sakura hits the ground hard, her legs not strong enough to hold her up for a moment.

Sakura rolls onto her back and just lays there, letting the blood circulate back into her system and wake up her limbs, suffering through the prickling feeling until it is done. She rolls over onto her side, then stands up, blood rushing to her head, making her see spots. Sakura waits until those vanish before she surveys the room.

it's large and dark, there appears to be only one way in. A door on the far side of the room.

Sakura starts to walk toward it, only to stop. She spots a pile of cloth on the floor a few feet away. The top thing is a very familiar red.

The pink haired girl is relieved to change from the kimono, no matter how nice, had to go. There is no way she's going to be running around in a strange place, for some unknown reason, in a heavy ass kimono. If they were going to offer Sakura her clothes back, she wasn't going to say no. In fact, she'll thank them. Sakura rubs her forehead.

Her head is splitting and her memory is getting fuzzy with fever. "Shit," Sakura mumbles. She remembers going to the moon. She remembers the statue and the fall, but the dream is a bit hazy. She was told she had to protect Asura and Indra. So, namely Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. And she was given the very distinct impression that she wasn't going home. Or, maybe she was told that by Hamura Otsutsuki.

Sakura rubs at her forehead more frantically, hurting the skin on her skull. "Shit," she mumbles again before heading over to her clothes, stripping down from the kimono and into her regular clothes. It's not as warm as the kimono but at least she'll be able to move around in it comfortably.

It wasn't just her clothes, either. It was everything. Her medical supplies, her weapons, even all of her scrolls. Everything she brought with her on her journey to go and save Hinabi. Thankfully, Sakura had no clue where they were going or how long they were going to be gone, so she was lucky enough to have packed very generously. _Very_ generously.

Sakura rifles through her things, making sure that everything is still there before she heads to the door, pulling out a kunai and pressing her ear against it, straining her hearing, despite the headache, to see if there was anyone on the other side of the door.

Nothing.

Sakura opens the door slowly and steps out a dimly lit hallway, lined with only torches leading toward a stairway leading up a fifteen stair staircase to a door lined with light. There was something behind that door. Something providing a hell of a lot of light. The other way is about four feet before it's rocks. Like wherever she is, a great portion of it is buried beneath rock.

Something half crushed beneath the rocks catches Sakura's attention. She walks over to it. It looks like a half crushed body, but upon closer inspection; it's not a person. It's a puppet. It looks exactly like a human. No one Sakura's ever seen. It's just looks like a regular man, nothing all that unique or impressive about him, but when she touches his neck to feel for a pulse, it's made out of some strange material that appears as though it's meant to mimic flesh, both in the way it looks and sort of how it is touching it. Major exposure to this flesh and it'll be obvious that it's not real, but just a graze and it'll pass easy.

Sakura's eyebrows pull together, but she stands up. Her head hurts too much for her to be able to accurately sit there and analyze the situation right now. She'll have to come back once she gets her feet under her. From one of her scrolls, she pulls out a long, dark brown cloak and puts it on, blocking out most of the cold while containing the heat of her body. She heads for the only viable way, carefully ascending the stairs before pausing again to listen at the door.

Nothing.

Sakura cracks open the door and is immediately blinded by sunlight bouncing off of freshly fallen snow and into her eyes. Sakura gives herself a moment to adjust to the bright light, despite her splitting head, before she steps out a few feet before looking around and seeing that wherever she was, she was underground. Sakura looks around for a moment, surveying the area again.

She was in a forest. It's mostly barren with hardly any leaves remaining on a few trees and none on all the others. It's cold and windy and she can see through the bare trees for a good while. She has to be somewhere in the Land of Fire, though. She would recognize these trees anywhere.

Sakura isn't all that sure where to go or what to do, but she does know that she has to get somewhere warm, get some medicine in her, or make it herself, and spend some time really thinking about what is going on.

If she can't go home - which it's sounding like that is ultimately going to be the case - then she is going have to really think about her life and what she is going to do.

In some ways, Sakura can't help but think that this is all her fault. If she had done something different or if she worked harder, maybe she wouldn't be here right now. Maybe she wouldn't be put into this scary, unknown situation. She would be out dicking around with Naruto and her friends trying to help save Hinabi, not wandering around in the cold. Lost. Confused.

For some reason, her mind goes back to that night. Back to the night she watched Hinata slink into the darkness after inadvertently being rejected by Naruto again, to when she snuck home and her mother was ranting about whatever - again, and all Sakura could think about is leaving. Her mind went back to that very moment where she was laying on her bed, staring out her window, feeling like she no longer belonged. Where she was out of place.

And that moment settles in her mind, mocking her.

She wanted to go somewhere where she was needed, right? Well, she got what she wanted.

She just never expected that where she was needed was with the First Hokage and Madara-fucking-Uchiha. She had no idea how she was suppose to help either of them. She didn't even really know what was wrong. Well, she knew what would be wrong, but if she was suppose to somehow stop him, then that means he hasn't done anything yet.

Kami, Sakura's head is hurting too badly to be able to deal with this. Later, she'll have to think more about it later. For now, shelter and medicine.

Lost, confused, and suddenly more lonely than she's ever felt in her entire life, Sakura picks a direction and starts walking.


	2. Skipper

**Author's Note: Hey, y'all! I am so pleased with the reception of this story! Thank you all so much! I hope that you all continue to enjoy this story! I just love hearing what you have to say! I'm not sure how to feel about this chapter exactly, but I look forward to the future! I'm still open to suggestion on the pairing, so let me know! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 5,122**

Sakura managed to stop, fish a bit and get some food into her, which did help to start making her feel better, but not enough to actually break the fever she had. Sakura didn't mind, though. She was a bit more alert now than she was before. She just had to keep moving until she came across a village that she could stay at for a few nights until she was all better. Thankfully she still had all of her money and everything that she left Konoha with, what feels like forever ago.

Once night fell, Sakura had to climb up a tree and sleep there tonight. While laying there under the starry night, Sakura had to wonder if Hinata, Naruto, Sai and Shikamaru managed to find Toneri and save Hinabi and the planet. God, Sakura hoped that everyone would be alright. If Sakura recalled correctly through her fever indused haze, Hamura sounded certain that they would be okay. That they would save Hinabi.

He also basically said that they would no longer need her anymore, which was honestly an asshole thing to say but the pitiful side of Sakura wallowed in it. If the man who basically made your way of life possible's little brother basically said no one there needed her any more, what the hell is she suppose to do with that? She couldn't very well stay, could she?

In some ways, she's angry that she was yanked out of her life and brought here, to the past - she hasn't figured out how far back yet, but she's sure it's pretty far - without her getting a say in it at all. But if Sakura stayed behind, yet she would be with her friends and family, but then what? Would she be feeling worthless and useless for the rest of her life? That's a good way to bring on crippling depression without delay.

Sakura anxiously runs her hands through her hair, not caring that she's messing it up. She just can't seem to get her bearings. Sakura adjusts a bit, pieces of bark from the tree trunk press into her back uncomfortably, but she ignores it. Sakura pulls out her water canteen and takes a few sips of the cool water, hoping that it'll help lower her fever a bit. It doesn't really, but it also makes her feel a bit better. Sakura rolls her shoulders back before sinking a bit where she sits on the uncomfortable tree branch.

Sakura looks up at the sky, seeing the glittering stars through the naked trees. As night fully envelopes this part of the world, the temperature is dropping, and while it feels good on her skin, she knows it's not doing anything wonderful for her health but she really can't choose one way or the other at the moment. She is just going to have to deal for now and hope she doesn't get sicker before she finds a village.

Sakura pulls the large white cloak she always has on her person, around herself tighter, hoping it'll block out some of the cold. The tip of her nose and ears are starting to hurt from the cold. Sakura grabs the white hood and brings it up over her head to try and block the cold out a bit more but lets out a little cough, betraying herself. She brings her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and lays her head down on her knees, blocking out the chill completely and enveloping her in warmth.

Sakura's eyes slip closed and she falls asleep almost immediately.

* * *

Sakura felt them before she was even fully conscious. Something was right on top of her when her instincts kicked in and Sakura threw herself to the side and off the tree branch, letting the cold air rushing past her face force her into awareness before reaching out and grabbing onto the branch closest to her and flying to the one across from it to another tree.

She spins around and looks up at the tree where she was sleeping just moments ago to see a figure standing right were she was. It was an exact copy of the man Sakura saw before, at that strange half underground place she was at when she woke up in this time.

The man turns to look over at Sakura, the movement is slow and smooth, and very humanlike but Sakura knew, somehow, that this man was just like the man before him. He was not human. He was some kind of puppet being controlled by someone else. He looked very human but that was it. This understanding was furthered when ten men who looked exactly like him land on the three branches around him. So, either the family resemblance is astonishing, or they are all puppets. Just like the puppets Naruto and Hinata said attacked them in Konoha.

Except this wasn't Toneri.

"Who are you?" Sakura asks, standing up slowly, keeping her back ramrod straight. She keeps her eyes shifting from one puppet to the next, her muscles tense and ready for her to start moving the moment any of them turn threatening.

None of them respond. They just stand there, staring down at her.

Sakura shifts slightly, her heart pounding in her chest as adrenaline courses through her system. Her fingers twitch at her sides but she forces herself to keep her breathing even.

"Who are you?" Sakura asks again.

The moment the words leave her lips, all of the puppets lunge at her. Sakura jumps back, dodging them. She quickly turns around mid-flight and starts running. She's in no position to be fighting right now. Sakura didn't know where she was. She could be anywhere in the country. She's not even certain that she's in the Land of Fire. She hasn't come across any sort of landmark that would alert her to where she was. Now she's in need of help and has no idea where a nearby village is.

"Fuck," Sakura hisses under her breath. She leaps to the side, dodging one of the puppets punching the tree branch she was just one. She spins around, mid air, and lands a kick on the side of it's head and it goes flying off in the forest in the opposite direction, smashing through trees. Sakura keeps moving, not wanting to wait around for more to catch up with her.

Sakura had to duck and dodge through the forest, fighting off any and all puppets that get too close. Sakura could hear the sounds of fighting ahead of her. It was early morning, the sky a nasty gray with clouds so thick, it was hard for the sun to even pierce through them. Sakura knew she should probably try and avoid what sounded like another conflicted ahead of her, so she turned slightly to try and head parallel to it, and ultimately pass it, hoping that's the sign of a village being nearby, but one of the puppets appear next to her, aiming a kick to her side so hard to went flying.

Sakura's back connected with the thick trunk of a tree a few yards away, knocking the wind out of her. Sakura landed on her knees in the snow, wheezing for air for a moment, the cold air burning her lungs.

Sakura rubs her side for a moment before standing up slowly. The puppets drop down around her, jerking around unnaturally. Sakura tilts her head slightly. She takes a deep breath, sends chakra to her right hand, balls it up into a fist and hits the ground, watching the ground shriek and yield around her, splintering into pieces and separating the puppets.

The pink haired battle medic skirts around the tree and runs directly away, pushing her legs to go as fast as they can. Her vision starts blurring as her lungs burn from the exertion. She sees a break in the trees that leads to a wide open field. There is fresh scorch marks on the ground, blackening the grass, but there is no one around, which is good. Sakura runs to the middle of the field, giving herself a moment to collect her breath and slow down her frantically beating heart to devise a plan of action.

She obviously can't outrun them, not in the state that she's in. But they haven't shown an overly impressive skill set. They obviously know taijutsu, but that's all they've shown. They aren't too fast and so far none of them have landed a blow on her yet, despite her weakened state, so something tells her that this shouldn't be too bad, it's just numbers. That, they have on her.

Kami, how is Sakura suppose to "protect" Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju when she can't even look after herself? This was a load of bullshit.

The puppets slink out of the woods, twitching and shaking oddly, before they start charging. Sakura's mind clears up as she lets out a roar of rage and moves to intercept, her anger helping clear her mind a bit. Just enough to focus on the battle.

Sakura's hands curl into fists before she reaches them. Sakura dances around the eleven combatants. They aren't durable like regular humans either. It reminds Sakura of her battle with Sasori. She spins around between the eleven puppets. Punch, kick, dodge, swipe, back step, jump, chakra enhanced fist to the ground. It didn't take long for Sakura to begin taking down her opponents, there was something odd about it.

This would be the second time, really, that she's fought against puppets. These were definitely different from the wooden puppets that Sasori and Kankuro use, but they were definitely not real people. They didn't bleed or react in pain when hit, but after enough damage is dealt, they fall to the floor and stop moving. But unlike Sasori and Kankuro, there was no chakra strings. They weren't made of wood but some kind of rubber, jello-like substance that helped it somewhat mimic a human, but not perfectly. Their facial expressions didn't even change. Without chakra strings, Sakura had no idea where the puppeteer was.

Right now, she doesn't care. She just has to stop these puppets and get out of here.

One of the puppets hands crackles with lightning dancing around his hand and he reaches out and grabs Sakura's wrist, shocking her. Sakura lets out a scream of shock and pain, pulling her other fist back and punches it square in the face, sending it flying off into the distance, it hits the ground with a big explosion.

"That hurt," Sakura snarls, bringing her leg up and sending it flying backward to knock another puppet away. She pulls out a bomb tag, put it onto the back of another puppet before tossing it into a gathering of five others. They all explode. Sakura turns toward the last two, grabbing one by the arm, spinning around and hitting the second one with the first before throwing the first to the ground, bringing her leg straight up and bringing it down on his gut.

The area falls silent and Sakura lets out an angry growl. Sakura reaches up and pulls her hood back up. It had fallen down sometime near the end of her bout. She pauses a moment, rolling her shoulders back, an angry sneer on her face before she spares all of the puppets one last look to make sure they aren't going to be getting back up again anytime soon. She turns away from the carnage. "Son of a... bitch..." Sakura mutters, staring at the small group that has gathered to watch. Sakura freezes.

For a single, crazy moment, Sakura wondered if she didn't move, she would just disappear into the crowd and be able to slip away. But she knew that was completely insane. There is no way that was a possibility. Sakura wanted to hit herself. She couldn't believe that she could get such an audience, there had to be like six people over there, and she didn't even notice.

Sakura really had to be out of it.

They were pretty far away, this was a huge open field, and they were partially hidden beneath the trees so Sakura couldn't really see them, but she could tell that there was an awkward distance between them.

Sakura didn't have the strength to fight them too, so Sakura turns the opposite way, and runs. As fast and as hard as she can.

* * *

It's was a nice cool morning and a young girl was walking toward the water, the buckets she held bump against her shins. Her clothes were old and worn and a dark brown color to hide the stains and age but her hair was a vibrant pink color and her eyes a pretty green. She was happy despite her dirty skin, clothes and feet, from the lack of shoes. She was just naturally happy.

She lifts them to stop them from bruising her legs. She hums to herself as she gets to the river, dipping the first bucket into the water, filling it up. She lays it down next to her before dipping the other in. Once that one is full she pulls it out and lays it on her other side, reaching into the bucket, pulling out the fish that she accidently caught and threw it out. She feels like some one is staring at her.

The girl slowly turns sharply to see two boys staring at her, eyes wide. They are both poised in such a way that it looks like they were throwing something into the water, but completely frozen when the little pink haired girl walked out of the tree line almost as if they were hoping that she wouldn't see them if they didn't move in the slightest.

But now she's staring at them, green eyes blown wide as she stares at the two boys. Both of which a few years older than her. Probably eleven or twelve. One had short brown hair cut almost in a bowl shape with large brown eyes while the other had wild messy black hair and black eyes. The two boys stare at her as she stares back at them, no one saying anything for a moment.

Finally, the girl says, slowly, "Hello...?"

The brown haired boy is the first to speak. "Hi."

Then the black haired boy. "...hi..."

The girl looks around for a moment, wondering if there was anyone else around, but she didn't see anyone. They were just staring at her. "Um," the girl says slowly, turning toward them. "What are you guys doing?"

"Nothing," the black haired boy says hastily.

The brown haired boy looks at the thing in his hand - a rock, it looks like - before swiftly hiding it behind his back, offering a sheepish smile. He gave the black haired boy a little shrug before holding up the rock for the pink haired girl can see it better. "We are skipping rocks," the brown haired boy says. A pause, then, "Do you want to play too?"

The girl tilts her head. "Is that okay?" Her eyes flicker over to the black haired boy, who shrugs, looking away.

The brown haired boy offers a jubilant smile. "Sure! Come on over!"

The girl walks over to them. "How do you do it?"

So the boys show her. The brown haired boy is definitely better than the black haired boy, but they seem to be having a lot of fun. Once the pink haired girl finally picked up how to actually do it, she too began to have fun. The brown haired boy was friendly right away, but the black haired boy was a little standoffish, staring at her as if she was a wild animal getting ready to strike. But after about an hour, he began to loosen up, seeing as she was no threat to them.

"I'm Hashirama," the brown haired boy says, looking over at the pink haired girl, offering a huge grin.

"Madara," the black haired boy says.

"Sakura," the pink haired girl says, giving them a little wave. She throws another rock, it skips once before sinking into the water. She lets out a sigh. "I suck at this."

Hashirama laughs. "Yeah, but now we found someone that Madara can beat!" Sakura and Madara both glare at Hashirama, making him swallow his laughter and look bashful. "Um, sorry."

"How about I just skip you, huh?" Madara snaps.

Hashirama adopts a silly look on his face, hunching over with his back toward Madara. "I just hope I make it to the other side..." He runs the pad of his pointer finger over a rock right in front of him.

"What was that?" Madara snaps, hands curling into fists.

"Nothing!" Hashirama says, jumping up and waving his arms around in surrender to the black haired boy. He smiles at the slightly taller boy sheepishly. Madara settles down right after that, but the angry look remains for a few moments longer to get his point across.

Sakura rolls her eyes. "I think I'll dub you two Forest Weirdos."

"We aren't freaks!" Madara says, turning to Sakura now.

"Seriously!" Hashirama huffs, then tilts his head. "And what's wrong with the forest?"

"Nothing," Sakura says simply, shrugging two thin shoulders. "I'm not saying their is. I just think you two are weirdos."

Madara huffs while Hashirama wilts again. "Awww," Hashirama whines. "Why don't we call ourselves something? You know, something cool? Like... like," He points to himself, "Hop," then to Sakura, "Skip," and finally Madara, "And Jump!"

"That's stupid," Madara says, flatly.

"No, it's not," Hashirama pouts.

Madara rolls his eyes. "Where did that even come from, anyway?"

"Skipping rocks!" Hashirama says proudly. Madara sends him a droll look.

"Anyway," Sakura says, looking up at the sky, easily ignoring the slightly older boy, "I should probably be going home now! Will you guys be coming back?"

Hashirama nods. "Definitely! Come again in two days! Same time!"

"Not same time," Madara says, glaring at him. He looks at Sakura. "Show up an hour earlier than today, that's usually when we meet up." Then back to Hashirama, "She was late today, baka."

Hashirama laughs. "Oops, yeah! What Madara said."

Sakura nods, smiling. "Great! Well, by guys!" Sakura waves at them before running over to her buckets, lifting them, swaying a bit from the weight, before heading on back home.

"Bye!" Hashirama and Madara call before both of them disappear into the forests.

* * *

Sakura had found a deep underground cave to sleep in for a few nights. It was warm and it gave Sakura the opportunity to gather what little herbs she could and fresh water to begin healing herself. The cave was deep, and for the most part uninhabited, and with many routes in. It was odd and Sakura had to wonder if it was man made, though it was not something she had ever seen before. She still had yet to come across a civilization of any sort, and at this point Sakura is beginning to doubt whether or not she was sent back to the time of her village's founding.

While the puppets were admittedly odd, Sakura has yet to not only run into a village, but run into anyone! Either the world wasn't nearly as populated during her village's founding, or Sakura was at the ass end of nowhere because she can't seem to find anyone.

Well, other than whomever was watching her almost a week ago fighting off the puppets. So at least Sakura's not in the middle of the ice age or anything, she has just been unlucky enough to not be able to find people just yet.

The way the cave was set up is there is two separate entrances that lead in a big half circle from one side to the other. The cave is massive and it would be a good twenty minute run to go from one entrance to the other on the outside, and it's even longer on the inside. Going toward the middle of the cave, toward the actual curve of the cave, there is a huge stone piece jutting out that overlooks the two ways in. There is writings all over the walls that make no sense to Sakura and is safe to assume no one has been to this cave in a long time. Sakura has been sure to curl up in a corner away from stalactites hovering from the cave ceiling.

Sakura is finally starting to feel better after a few days of resting when she hears the soft sound of feet scuffing against the rock floor. Sakura falls to her belly, thankful she hasn't built up a fire yet, seeing as it's the afternoon, but while Sakura is feeling a hell of a lot better than before, she's not sure she should be fighting too much in her condition.

Sakura falls flat onto her belly, glad she has been cloaking her chakra for days now to hide from predators, and crawls over to the ledge, carefully. She peaks over the side to see figures approaching from both sides.

"I'm telling you, brother, it lead here," a man's voice says as a group of five round the corner to Sakura's left. There is enough light in the cave for Sakura to immediately recognize the Uchiha blue. They were the same shade as Sasuke's shirt back when he was young. All five of them were wearing the same blue shirt and pants with pitch black hair. Uchiha.

The two in the front, one unmistakably Madara Uchiha, and the other a boy that looked - and Sakura is going to swear this up and down - just like Sasuke are leading the group. It wasn't Madara who spoke, he was looking over at the Sasuke look-a-like.

"Oh?" Madara says flatly.

"I know it," the Sasuke look-a-like says, gesturing in front of them right as those coming from the other side, round the corner.

Sakura pales completely when Hashirama and Tobirama, leading four other Senju round the corner and come to a stop, just like the Uchiha. Sakura could have died at the annoyed look on Madara's face. It was so completely different than what she expected. Hashirama on the other hand...

"Madara!" Hashirama says, throwing his arms out wide, almost whacking Tobirama in the face. The man steps back with a glare directed toward his older brother, but he says nothing.

Madara gives him a droll look. "Oh look, Izuna, a cave full of dead Senju, and it's not even my birthday."

Hashirama wilts like a flower. "Aw, why do you have to say that?"

The Sasuke look-a-like frowns, looking up at Madara. "This wasn't who I was talking about, Madara." Then to the Senju, "What are you doing here, Senju?" He takes a threatening step forward but no one looks threatened in the slightest.

"None of your business," Tobirama snarls at the same time Hashirama says, "Looking for Sakura."

Sakura jumps in surprise. Tobirama looks over at Hashirama with the most annoyed look Sakura has ever seen on the normally composed Second Hokage's face. Madara blinks slowly at his one time childhood friend while the Sasuke look-a-like's shoulders drop and his look is almost as wonderful as Tobirama's. What an odd bunch of people.

This is just so weird. They really did know her name. It was just a surreal experience to hear such powerful people like them talking about her. There wasn't a lot said, but when the First Hokage said that he was looking for Sakura held a lot of weight. Sakura isn't so sure what she thinks about this. They must have tracked her here and... what? Was the Uchiha looking for her too?

If Sakura recalled correctly, they were childhood friends. From the dream she had, this must have been Hamura's way of kind of fitting her into the role rather than just thrusting it upon her. Er, well, more than he already did. Sakura kind of appreciated the background knowledge. It almost made this feel less like one big old lie to her future Kage and his one-time best friend.

"You saw Sakura too," Madara says, pulling Sakura from her thoughts.

Hashirama's smile is sad. "Yes, brother, I did. After what happened... I thought for sure..." His brown eyes lower. Shame colors Madara's face and he turns away for a moment. Sakura tilts her head to the side, wondering what they could be referring to. Could it have been her "death"? Hamura did say that the Sakura of this time died, but he didn't specify as to how exactly. Sakura wonders what that could have been.

Tobirama looks at his brother for a moment before he jerks and twists toward her, looking up and spotting her. His red eyes narrow. "Hey!" Everyone follows his line of sight to Sakura's darkened out figure. "Come out now!"

Sakura lets out a slow, drawn out breath, stealing herself. She knew she was going to have to face them sooner or later, she just kind of wished she would know more about their relationship before then, but it looks as though the opportunity has basically been thrust upon her. Sakura stands up, looking down at the men below her, all reaching for their weapons other than Madara and Hashirama, stepping off the rock and dropping the twenty feet until she's at the space between the two sides.

Sakura straightens up, glad that she has a moment to hide behind the hood of her cloak, not sure her face will be as composed as she would have liked. Shit, she wished she had more time to prepare. She takes a deep breath before raising her head, looking between the two clan leaders. "Hop, Jump, how's it going?" She asks, placing a hand onto her hip.

Madara's and Hashirama's eyes widen. Something told Sakura right away that that was something that was only shared between the three of them.

"Sakura..." Madara says softly, his dark eyes wide with something deep and desperate lurking beneath those black depths.

"Skipper," Hashirama says, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Now _that_ is weird. Sakura hesitates a moment, before wrapping her arms around him too, figuring this was something that a friend would do. Sakura had to admit, it was odd how right that felt. Hugging Hashirama was as easy as hugging Naruto. It was just like hugging Naruto.

Tobirama, the Senju, the Sasuke look-a-like and the Uchiha all lower their weapons slowly, not sure how to react.

Hashirama pulls away, pauses a moment before reaching up and pulling her hood down. Hashirama steps back for a moment so that he and Madara can just stare at her. They haven't seen each other in many years. If Sakura looked like she did when she was eight or nine in this time that she did in her time, then she must look a lot different now. She's a full grown woman now. Nineteen years old.

"Skipper," Hashirama says, reaching out to touch her again but stops himself. "Skipper, are you okay? You're so pale..."

"I'm getting over a cold," Sakura says, shaking her head. "I'm fine. What are you guys doing here?" Well, obviously they were looking for her, but she wanted them to tell her.

"Tobirama saw you," Hashirama says, brown eyes wide. "He saw you fighting strange men. Skipper, are you okay?" It was such an odd nickname, but somehow very endearing.

Sakura nods. "Yes, I'm fine." Sakura glances over at Madara, who has yet to take his eyes off of her. "Hello..."

Madara swallows, blinking rapidly. "Hello..." A pause, he looks around for a moment, before looking back at her. "Are you okay..?"

Sakura nods again. "Yes, I'm fine. What are you guys doing here? Did you need something from me?"

Hashirama's eyebrows pull together tightly. "What do you mean by that, Sakura? We thought you were dead! We haven't seen you for years! What do you mean; why are we here?" He almost looks mad at that.

Sakura shrinks a bit, not expecting that. "I'm sorry. I... I don't know what to say. I... had some things going on..." Sakura says slowly, honestly not sure what to say to that. She didn't know what happened so she didn't know how to kind of dance around it. Or at least make up some kind of justification as to why she hasn't gone back to see them in so long.

Hashirama looks sad now, the anger melting away. "Was this because of Madara and I? Because we were fighting?"

Taking the nugget of information like a lifeline, Sakura nods. "That's part of it. But I don't really want to talk about it. I'm sorry if I'm encroughing on either of your lands, I'm just trying to heal up, and then I'll go," Sakura says glancing over at Madara.

"What?" Madara says, eyes widening.

"No, it's nothing like that," Hashirama says, shaking his head. "We haven't seen you in years, and you're sick! Please, let me take a look at you."

Sakura offers a little smile. "It's a cold, my lord. I'm fine. Trust me."

Hashirama frowns. "Hashirama."

"Pardon?" Sakura raises an eyebrow.

"Call me Hashirama."

Sakura blinks a few times rapidly. "What? Oh, um, Hashirama-sama."

"No," Hashirama says, shaking his head. "Just Hashirama."

Sakura looks hesitates. "I..."

"Please," Hashirama says. "You are my friend. Don't call me that."

That didn't feel right, it felt like a lie, but Sakura nods slowly. This is one big lie. Sakura didn't think about it when she was brought back here, but she's thinking about it now, standing before two legendary warriors, the one time leaders of her village. She was going to lie to them, right to their faces, and pretend to be their childhood friend.

What kind of shit person does that? Apparently, Sakura Haruno.

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. SHINinglove02: Hello! Yes, it is becoming a very common idea for a story. It's just so fun, though! Haha. Yeah, I know. That is something I will always have to deal with. I apologize for the inconvenience!_

 _2\. thentherewasIA: Thank you! Hm, no, I don't think it's any different... how so?_

 _3\. onlyagirl: You follow eight of my stories?! Holy cow! Yeah, it may get to that point, but right now, with the friendship so strained and old, she's going to have to play it safe for now and pretend to be the other Sakura. A bit. Thank you! I will definitely take what you've said into consideration!_

 _4\. MahiruNoYume: Oh, yes you may. :3 Haha, thank you so much! I'm so glad that you like my stories! I'm sorry I write so many of them! I just have to get them out of my head or I will explode! No, no chill, none. Thank you!_

 _5\. Guest 1: Hmmm. :D Aww, thank you! It will be taken into consideration!_

 _6\. Hello Writer: Thank you! Yes, Hamura was banished to the moon to guard his mother. :D_

 _7\. Broken Reveries: It does? I wonder why people think that._

 _8\. Macel: Aww! Thank you! I haven't decided on the pairing yet! I'm open to suggestions!_

 _9\. PeopleOrderOurPatties: Oh gosh! There's no way that's possible! There are ton of great stories out there featuring these characters! O.O OOh, I was kind of thinking the same thing. Oh, I did, thank you for saying that!_

 _10\. Guest 2: Thank you!_

 _11\. Mameha: I know! Duu, thank you!_

 _12\. ZeeSammour: I will try my hardest! ^.^_

 _13\. LeonaMasha: Thank you!_

 _14\. Ygag: Thank you!_

 _15\. GUEST 3: I will add it to the tally. :D_

 _16\. Hana-Taisho: Oh no, I definitely am, but thankfully I have a lot planned out for my other stories, so this one I'm kind of winging at the moment. T.T_

 _17\. Guest 4: Yesmmmm!_

 _18\. Azura Soul Reaver: Thank you!_

 _19\. PinKyrstal: Thank you!_

 _20\. Guest 5: I know, I suck. I have to write them down when they come to me or I'll forget them. Forgive me!_

 _21\. zombiekins5948: I will. :3_

 _22\. yankey: Thank you! As for when I update, it's whenever I have time, really. And what I update, well, that's usually what I have inspiration for and how the feedback is. If people aren't liking the way the story is going, sometimes I have to really step back and think about what I was planning and stuff gets put on hold for a while. So, yes it should be interesting! Wish me luck! Bye!_

 _23\. ILoveNarutoKProject: Aww, thank you! I'm glad you like it! Oh wow, sounds like a lot of work. Haha! I'm kidding. Like, they all love her, deal with each other and fuck up anyone who tries to interfere! Haha! Brilliant!_

 _24\. Guest 5: I usually go with popular vote anyway, and that's usually just a pair so I can't promise anything but that's usually how it goes. :D_

 _25\. Trina sexy: Okay!_

 _26\. Chrismazing: You aren't the first to say this. I suppose it would be kind of interesting. Well, we will just have to see! o. I'm not sure what TLC means though, sorry!_


	3. Manmaru Seto

**Author's Note: Oh goodness, I just love the attention that this story is getting! Thank you all so much! So, I've decided that there is absolutely no way this story is going to be a TobixSaku story. I'm going to be writing another story, I already have the idea, and that is going to be the couple. So, there's that. Thank you all for your advice, it's what helped me finally decide on the pairing! Thanks! I've come to realize that this story isn't going to have any chill so it's going to move. I hope I don't lose anyone along the way! Be ready! So, it's super late here. I'm tired and heading to bed now! Goodnight! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 5,200**

Sakura lets out a long-winded sigh. She runs her hand through her short pink locks. She lets her eyes slip close and turns away from the men in front of her, feeling like a piece of shit. Why is she here? Why is she doing this? Sakura has no acting skills. How in the world was she going to do this? Did the all seeing Hamura see that she would somehow be able to make it through this?

Sakura didn't know what to do. Was she suppose to end their war? Was she suppose to help them settle their differences? Was she suppose to keep the peace after the war was over? Hamura told her that she needed to help the First Hokage and Madara, or, save them? But she didn't know in what context. Where they in danger? As in, the people attacking her, were they going to go after them too?

And on that same note; who the hell were these people? What did they want? Sakura literally had nothing! Moreso now than before. Now all she has is what is on her person. That's it! Was this some kind of consequence for going back in time? As in, now she needs someone to be her arch enemy or something? Sakura's dealt with too many of those - not so much her, but all of her friends, especially Naruto - and she was just done with that whole thing.

Sakura was nineteen years old and she was way too old for that shit now. At this point in Sakura's life, she's not so sure anything can surprise her now. She's pretty much seen it all. Or, at least, she's seen enough to not be really surprised by the strange and unusual things this time would try and throw at her. Sakura fought a Goddess and the Ten Tails, for Kami's sake!

And Sakura isn't a saint. She's done a lot of bad things in her life - although she's sure her bad pales in comparison to some - she's still done things that she regrets, but Sakura can't imagine what she could have done wrong that would put her into this position. She was basically told by the Sage of Six Path's brother that she was no longer needed back home. That she had nothing more to offer them.

Now that was a real punch in the gut. Seriously.

Sakura couldn't pretend to be their friend. She had that single memory to go off of, and it was of their first meeting. That was practically nothing! She didn't even have her life together. She had no idea how she was somehow going to help the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha out when she had no idea how she was going to get over this blasted cold that just _won't go away._ She was going to be of no use to her village's founders.

Not as she is.

"What do you want from me?" Sakura asks sadly, frowning. She can't even bring herself to look up at them. She was ashamed. Ashamed of herself. Her life. The lie she has to tell. The lie she is forced to tell. And the life she now has to live. Sakura wasn't just going to ruin her own life because of her ignorance of this era's Sakura - which the thought alone is astounding to think about? Another Sakura? - but also everyone else who's lives this Sakura has somehow, one way or another, come into contact with.

That includes the founders of her village. No matter what she might think about Madara's actions in her time, she does still owe him and the First Hokage for making her own the wonderful place she knows and loves.

Naruto, after the war was over, took the time to really explain what he learned from Sasuke about the relationship that Madara and Hashirama shared. The story that Hashirama told about the founding of their village. Naruto was able to sympathize to a degree how much Madara loved Konoha and how he wanted to make sure that everyone in it was safe and sound. He wanted Konoha to be supreme in power because he believed in the foundation in which the village was built upon. He believed in it.

Sakura too.

She's not sure she's exactly the right person to have helping form the structure of the village. She's not even sure how to structure her own life let alone help the founders build one for an entire village! Sakura knew what the village would one day become, but she wasn't sure if she would be the right one to help put the circumstances in place that would make her village a reality.

Sakura feels it's safe to assume that she is no longer in her timeline. She had absolutely no place in her own past, but to a degree, Sakura being here was already changing the timeline as she knew it.

"We don't want anything," Hashirama says softly. "Skipper, it's been almost seven years since I last saw you. I had no idea what happened to you. I was worried sick. Your village was destroyed. I thought..." Sakura tucks that nugget of information into the back of her mind for later. Her village was destroyed.

Madara looks away, closing his eyes for a moment before looking down at Sakura. "What happened?"

"I don't know what to say to you," Sakura says, half turning away. "Now isn't the time for any of this. My life doesn't have even the slightest bit of order right now. I can't do anything for either of you."

"We don't want anything," Madara and Hashirama say together, sparing a moment to share a look. Madara drags his dark eyes over to Sakura and asks, "What happened?"

Sakura shakes her head. "I don't know what to say. I'm having some... issues with remembering the last few years..." Sakura says slowly.

"What does that mean?" Hashirama asks, eyebrows pulled together. "Did something happen?"

"Those guys, the one that the Sec..." Sakura hesitates, glancing over at Tobirama, barely catching her slip up. "...Senju heir saw me fighting, I think they did something to me. I... woke up in a strange place a week ago and am having trouble remembering much of my life." The lie came a little too easily for her. She knew that being a ninja meant being a master at the art of deception, but Sakura found that she was never all that good at lying.

Tobirama's narrow red eyes hone in on her face, showing he caught the verbal slip up and just like the nugget of information about her past went into her vault, that went into his.

Now that is a scary ass thought. Sakura was a smart young woman, but she is nowhere near ready to face the mental prowess of the Second Hokage. She had to be very careful about what she said and did around the man. That is going to be a really tough and hard one to pull off. She has to be sure not to back herself into a corner. Because she sure as hell can't tell the truth.

Not the whole truth, that is. Maybe bits of it could happen.

"What?" Madara asks flatly. "Someone did something to you?" Hashirama glances over at him, eyebrows pulling together even more, before looking over at Sakura.

"Let me take a look at you," Hashirama says, stepping closer. Sakura shakes her head, closing her eyes.

"I'm okay. I'm just getting over a cold, at this point," Sakura says.

"How do you know?" Hashirama asks, shaking his head. "It could be something much worse. Please, let me help you."

Sakura lets out a little huff. "I can't, Lord... uh, Hashirama..." Man that's weird to say. "I can't pick sides. Not between the two of you. Besides, I am a medical shinobi, I know how my body works. I'm okay."

Hashirama doesn't appear as though he believes that - whether that is that Sakura is a medical shinobi or if she is okay - but he just lets his shoulders slump and offer her a sad, worried look that could put the one that Naruto used to give her to shame. This man was like a kicked puppy.

After a moment of baited silence, Hashirama says, "Can you at least let us get you out of the cold?"

"I'm fine," Sakura says, shaking her head. "I'm only staying here until I get better. Then I'll move on."

"And go where?" Madara asks.

Sakura shrugs a shoulder, looking around at everything but the people in front of her. She didn't know what to say to that. She really had no plan. She didn't know what to say to them right now. She didn't know what to do about this entire thing. She knew she had to somehow stay with Hashirama and Madara, but right now wasn't the time. They had to settle this war before she could really do anything about that. She didn't know how to help them other than letting the war end as it was meant to and picking up the slack after that.

She wanted it to end then and there, but she had no business there. She may be their childhood friend, but being childhood friends didn't stop the war in the first place. Sakura doesn't know what else to do. She has no leverage with any of the clans, and to be honest, she doesn't have her own head on straight. She still needs to sit down and really think about what she's going to do next before she digs herself into a corner and can't find a way out again.

"You don't remember things?" Hashirama asks instead, seeing that Sakura didn't have an answer to Madara's question. "Like what?"

"Pretty much everything," Sakura says slowly, dragging her eyes over to the First Hokage. "I have little fragments of memories. My training and when we first met as children. Nothing else. I know about the war between the two of you but that's it. I don't remember anything else."

Madara's dark eyes widen. "Nothing? You don't remember anything? Not even..." he hesitates, then looks away, jaw working.

Hashirama glances at him for a moment before looking back at Sakura. "How can that be? What happened to you?"

Sakura shakes her head. "I don't know. Listen, it's not your problem, okay? I'll get it figured out. You two should just figure out your deal." She gestures between the two of them.

Hashirama and Madara both looked a little pained by that, spare a look at one another for a moment, staring into the eyes of the other man. It seemed like the first time in a long time - perhaps too long - that they have really looked into the other's eyes and acknowledged the friendship that once existed between them. Sakura had to wonder how long it's been since things have been calm enough around them so that they could look at one another, not as enemies - and unfortunately not as friends - but as people.

There was an undeniable connection between the two of them. Whatever spark that was between them at childhood may have dimmed over the years of fighting, but in this moment, it flared powerfully. All of the Uchiha and Senju shift in the room, as if they somehow felt the change in their leaders' demeanors toward one another as if it was a physical thing. They didn't look at one another as if they have never seen the person across from them a day in their life.

Sakura was kind of mesmerized by how sudden the shift happened between the two sides. But as quick as it happened, it was gone, as Hashirama and Madara turned away from one another and toward Sakura.

"We... don't have a problem," Hashirama says delicately. His face showed that not even he believed those words. He blinks a few times quickly.

His words lit a fire in Sakura's belly, and she snaps. "Don't you dare say that!" Her voice echoes in the silence of the cave. Hashirama looks up at her, brown eyes wide. "Don't you dare say you have no problem when you go out to battle every day to kill your best friend's family! How can that be anything but a very serious problem?"

Hashirama practically shrinks in front of Sakura's very eyes.

"I may not remember much, but I can't believe that you don't see what's absolutely wrong with this! You are grown ass men fighting and killing one another. Do you even know what you are fighting for? Why you are fighting each other? Is it about conquest? Pride? Protecting your people? Is it because the other clan is filled with savaged who pillage and rape to their hearts desire? Because they are the scum of the earth and deserve to be wiped out completely? Huh? Which is it? I want to understand!" Sakura looks between the two clan leaders.

Hashirama and Madara bow their heads, neither knowing what to say, and Sakura realized in that moment why she was there.

"You've been fighting one another for so long that you don't even remember why you are fighting, or if it's even worth it anymore," Sakura says slowly, green eyes widening. "Sweet Kami," Sakura says, shaking her head. "What in the world are you thinking? Why the hell are you concerned over me when you should be worried about yourselves! You are _best_ _friends_! Don't try and tell me that's not true! I just saw it happen! You're best friends and you allowing this death and carnage to continue! Forget me, worry about yourselves and each other!"

Sakura shakes her head again, unable to believe the people in front of her. They are fighting in a horrible, vicious war against one another and none of them seem to really know why that they are fighting. That's completely insane! If they had said that they were fighting for honor or some other bullshit like that, Sakura would probably smack the shit out of them, but at least she would believe it, but no one said anything. As soon as the words left her mouth, all of the men in the room looked around as if suddenly realizing that themselves.

Holy shit!

"I'll be okay," Sakura says, letting out a sigh. "I think you two should really take some time to sit down and talk with your elders, or other people that you trust and really try and figure out what you are willing to continue living with."

"Skipper..." Hashirama says softly.

Feeling absolutely repulsed, Sakura turns away completely. "Please... go away." Sakura reaches up and pulls her hood back over her head, feeling completely disillusioned. "I... I can't look at any of you right now. I'm sick and I'm tired. I just want to be alone. Please just go away."

Sakura stood there, unmoving, until she finally heard footsteps start retreating from the other sides of the cave. Once they were all gone, Sakura sank to the ground, lowering her forehead to her knees, feeling weak and tired.

It was one thing to hear the cliffnotes about how they battled one another for a long time despite being childhood friends, and another thing to see it in person. They had no idea what they were fighting for. Their love for one another somehow wasn't strong enough to stop the fighting on principal. Their love for their families wasn't enough to stop just for their sake.

It wasn't just something one of them could do. They both had to decide to stop the fighting. And that just wasn't happening.

Something occurred to Sakura now that she hadn't thought about until that very moment. Konoha wasn't built upon love and friendship and unity for any and all who believe in the Will of Fire. It was built upon the bones of the men, women and children of the Uchiha and Senju clans.

Sakura was absolutely repulsed.

* * *

"Hey, Weirdos!" Young Sakura says, walking out into the opening to see Hashirama and Madara already arguing with one another.

"Hi," Madara says, giving her a side glance.

"Sakura," Hashirama says, turning to her as she gets close, "can you settle a disagreement for us?"

Sakura stops right next to them, shrugging her shoulders before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning on one hip. "Sure thing. What is it?"

Madara rolls his eyes, reaching up and folding his hands behind his head. Hashirama turns to her completely before explaining, "I think that it's important to be able to do a wide variety of things despite it not being practical to who you are as a person. Madara seems to believe that it's pointless to do things that don't benefit you in the end despite whatever enjoyment you may or may not get from it."

Madara glares at Hashirama. "Don't say it like that, dobe! I just said that it's pointless to do things that don't benefit you because it's a waste of time. You should always spent time doing things that you enjoy but only when you've exhausted the time that should be dedicated to something that will ultimately assist you in your every day life or even your future. That is what I'm saying."

Hashirama shrugs, as if it made no difference to him. "What do you think, Sakura?"

"I agree with you, Hashirama," Sakura says. "I think that regardless of whether it is of practical benefit to you or not, you should just do what you like! Play games! Eat candy! Do whatever!"

Hashirama claps his hands together excitedly. "Yes! That is what I'm talking about, Skipper!"

"Skipper?" Sakura asks, tilting her head to the side. "What's with that name?"

"Remember the last time we talked?" Hashirama asks, waggling his eyebrows at her. "I think it's going to be a keeper. What do you think, Madara?"

"I think you're super annoying," Madara says. Sakura giggles. Madara glances over at her for a moment before looking away, cheeks taking on a dusty pink color. Sakura giggles again while Hashirama awkwardly leans in close to Madara's face, making the other boy bend backwards in order to put a bit of space between their faces.

"Your face is all kinds of red," Hashirama says, raising one eyebrow high toward his hairline. "Are you going to be okay? Have you been out in the sun for too long? Should we go see a doctor?"

Madara shoves him away. "Shut up. I'm fine. Leave me alone."

"What's wrong?" Hashirama asks, leaning in closer, not understanding. "Why won't you let me make sure you're really okay?"

"Because I'm fine, dobe! Leave me alone!" Madara turns his back on Hashirama, turning away each time the other boy tries to step around him to get a good look at his face again. Sakura just stood there, laughing as the two boys eventually launched into a fight with one another. Jumping out onto the water and commencing with a battle.

Sakura sat down on the nearest rock and watched them battle for hours, her eyes wide in awe as she watched them go. They didn't do anything overly fancy in any regular shinobi terms, but Sakura was in complete and utter awe at how smooth and quick they moved. In how fluid their motions were. Everything about them was just beautiful.

Sakura didn't mind sitting there for hours watching them fight. She enjoyed the friendly banter. She enjoyed seeing all of the good hits one boy gets on the other and the cocky smiles they throw at one another. It was like they were the only ones in the world at those very moments. Nothing could ever come between them. They were going to be best friends forever.

"Wow!" Sakura gasps when they finally settle down, panting hard and grinning broadly at one another. "That was absolutely amazing, you guys! Totally awesome!"

Hashirama and Madara both smile at her. "Thanks," Madara says softly, blushing. Or maybe he was red from the exertion?

"Do you want to learn?" Hashirama asks,, walking back over to her.

"What?" Sakura asks, blinking rapidly in confusion. "Learn what?"

Hashirama does a vague gesture around them. "What Madara and I just did. Do you want to learn how to use your chakra?"

Sakura's green eyes are blown wide. "Chakra? You mean _I_ could use _chakra_? No way!"

Hashirama laughs, smiling brightly. "Yeah! Everyone can use chakra! You just have to learn how to unlock it!"

"And you do?" Madara asks, skeptically, stepping off the water and next to the brown haired boy.

Hashirama beams at his best friend, head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. "Yep! My father showed me how to do it! I even unlocked the chakra of some of my younger cousins before! It's super cool!" Madara actually looks impressed.

"I... see..." he says softly.

Hashirama turns to Sakura, still looking proud. "Would you like to learn, Skipper?"

Excited, and nervous, Sakura nods briskly. "Yeah! I would love to learn!"

* * *

Two weeks. Two Kami-damned weeks, it took her to finally fully recover from her cold. Two weeks following the encounter she had with Hashirama and Madara. Since then, neither have come to see her, but the planned battles between the Uchiha and the Senju have stopped completely. Now the only things that happen are slight skirmishes here and there.

Sakura spent a great portion of her time looking at all of the pictures on the wall. A lot was old carvings from long ago, but there was some that were newer, drawn in with some form of chalk that has faded slightly over time. They were the drawings of a child. It was odd that they would be there, up on the perch, high above the ground. Some place a normal child would not be able to reach normally. Sakura traced the little drawings of people and houses and families but had to stop when she realized that she was wiping away the chalk and making the picture fade even faster than it originally was.

Sakura didn't know what any of them meant, if they meant anything at all, and left them be.

But once Sakura was finally back to a hundred percent, she packed up all of her things and left that little cave, glad to have found it but so very ready to leave it. She had been cooped up there for far too long and was ready to high tail it out. It was still cold out and Sakura's body ached from laying on hard stone for the last few weeks, so her movements were slow. But alas, like Kami was smiling upon her for the first time since she woke up, she came across a village. There was something about it that is familiar. Sakura couldn't quite place it but it called out to her.

Both in a strange spiritual sense and in the sense that she wanted to find a village for a while now and it was a relief to finally be able to find one. Sakura went to the town and immediately sought out an inn to rest in for the night. She was relieved that she had come prepared for the mission to retrieve Hinabi and had plenty of money on her.

Sakura slept like a baby that night, completely overjoyed by having a nice warm bed to sleep in. It was nothing like her bed back home but it was a hell of a lot better than the rock that she's been sleeping on. She'll take just about anything over the rocks at this point. That's how desperate she's becoming. Sakura actually managed to sleep in longer than she normally would have otherwise.

It was around noon when she finally left the room and walked around the town, buying some more necessities that she needed while she didn't have a permanent place of residence so everything had to find it's way into a storage seal for the time being.

Sakura heads to the market place and walks around, looking at the venders and the shops, curious as to what they are selling. The village was by no means the size of Konoha, but was still pretty big. It was bigger than most. Sakura had to wonder if it would one day become Tanzaku Town just outside the Hidden Leaf village. It was kind of an exciting thought. It was something familiar, a landmark that Sakura was able to identify.

Sakura had gone to Tanzaku Town a few times since she became a ninja, but it was kind of cool to see it back before her village was founded. She hardly recognized it. But she was able to ask someone where they were and that was her answer. Sakura was so happy to hear it. She didn't mind being there. It was close to where Konoha would once be.

Since the fighting has slowed down between the Senju and the Uchiha, Sakura has started to wonder if this meant that the war would be over soon without any more intentional bloodshed. Sakura was a shinobi and understood that sometimes people die, but the more that she could avoid it, the better she would feel in the end. Besides, being a medical shinobi, it was her job to want to avoid death at all costs. It was just who she was. Who she became when she became a medical shinobi under Tsunade Senju.

Sakura was just wondering around Tanzaku, looking around without a care in the world when she heard someone calling out. At first, she didn't really register what she was hearing but as soon as she felt a presence right at her back, she finally heard what they were saying.

"Mommy! Mommy, wait!"

Sakura blinks in confusion right as something hits her in the back and she stumbles forward a few feet. She twists around at the waist to see something small and dirty wrapped around her. Little arms were locked tightly around her thighs with their face buried just above her bottom. Sakura quickly dislodges the hands from around her and lowers to her knees in front of the small, dirty child.

"Honey," she says easily. "I am not your mother. You have me confused with someone else."

The little boy raises his head slowly to reveal a dirty face to go with his dirty dark hair. As soon as his black eyes lock onto Sakura's face, the happiest, cutest smile spreads across his face.

"Silly mommy, I would recognize your pretty pink hair anywhere!" The little boy says, blinking slowly. His long, thick lashes are practically an event. Sakura blinks in surprise, reaching up and touching the tips of her hair, forgetting that she had pulled her hood down to enjoy the sun beating down on the top of her head. She looks down at the boy curiously, wondering if this could be some kind of mistake.

"Honey," Sakura says slowly, "I don't know who you are. I am not your mother..."

The little boy, probably about five, tilts his head to the side, not understanding. "Sure it's you, mommy. It's me, Manmaru. You forgot about me?" The boy frowns, dark eyes shimmering a bit in tears. "You've been gone for so long, mommy. I really, really missed you! Please don't leave me again!" The little boy throws himself into Sakura's chest, wrapping his little arms around her neck and pressing his face into her shoulder, refusing to let go. "I won't let you leave again, mommy. No more!"

With no choice but to pick the boy up, Sakura looks around helplessly, hoping that someone would step out of the crowd and claim the dirty boy. He wasn't even wearing a coat to protect him from the cold and his clothes were a bit shabby. It was obvious that he didn't come from any sort of money. Sakura really felt bad for the boy. She wanted to do everything for this little boy. Just one look at his face really melted her heart. There was something about this boy that made her feel something she didn't understand, nor could she put a name to.

"Manmaru Seto," a woman's voice calls. "Where are you, boy?"

The boy's arms tighten around Sakura's neck right as a woman breaks through the flow of people. Her clothes are brown and older with patches and small tares. Her brown hair is pulled up into a tight bun at the back of her head with a face, line with age and stress. Her dark eyes settle on Sakura immediately and Sakura thought that she would run up to Sakura, snatch the child from her arms and tell her to never touch her son again, but the woman just started shaking her head slowly as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Sakura Seto," the woman says, making Sakura perk up at that, "as I live and breath. I thought for certain you were never going to come back after you dropped that boy off with me. Three days, you said. A week, max! Do you have any idea how long you've been gone?"

Sakura shakes her head, dumbstruck. She really didn't know.

"Three months," the woman spits. "That wasn't what we agreed upon! I was going to put the boy up for adoption, if anyone would have him. He's a real hellion. No one wants a naughty boy like him."

Sakura frowns at the woman's words. How could she say that about a child? He was just a baby! He is going to be rowdy! That's what little boys do. How dare she say something like that.

Sakura's anger must have shown on her face because the woman tuts, sticking her nose up at Sakura. "If I hadn't personally delivered that little hellion from your womb I would believe that spawn from some sort of hell mouth."

Sakura's anger fades away as the woman's words settle into the forefront of her mind. This child was really hers? No, not hers. But the child of the Sakura that lived here before. Sakura Seto.

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. Guest 1: Oh, wow. Um, yeah, I knew that. x.x Thank you!_

 _2\. PeinVPuppy: Aw, thank you! Haha, okay!_

 _3\. Y: Hmm, I wonder. Thank you!_

 _4\. MahiruNoYume: Oh wow. Haha! Thank you! It's kind of a flimsy idea right now but I am going to go somewhere with it, I hope. Haha. It was so stupid I had to put it in there! Plus, I think it's a little endearing. Tobirama doesn't like people. Like, ever. Haha. Oh my goodness, I love Fates! I am almost done with Conquest! I am so excited! Yes, that would be hilarious! I am so glad that you liked my stories! Thank you for reading them!_

 _5\. Morg: Thank you! Well there is a bit of an explanation on how it started in there. :3_

 _6\. Wolf to the Stars: Haha! Me too! Thanks!_

 _7\. Chancellor S: Oh my goodness, you are too nice! Thank you!_

 _8\. ILoveRebornNarutoKProject: Haha, thank you! I'm still learning how to do just single couples, I think I need more time before I can do harems, unfortunately! I'm sorry!_

 _9\. Guest 2: I think so too! It was actually longer than the first chapter, but I can appreciate where you are coming from. :D I love you too! 3_

 _10\. LeonaMasha: She's kind of starting too, but she's good at diverting attention so for now, she's safe. But not for forever. Tobirama has noticed her. That's never good. In a logical, secret ninja sense. .o_

 _11\. onlyagirl: Haha, thanks! They don't happen often, unfortunately it all just depends. I'm going to be super busy this week so I won't be able to write much. Yeah, this story is going to have no chill, to be honest. Well, thanks!_

 _12\. j0ph33: Haha, thanks! Oh goodness, you are too nice!_

 _13\. Guest 3: Hello! Huh, no I never thought about that. Did you have anything in mind?_

 _14\. Trina sexxy: Thanks!_

 _15\. PeopleOrderOurPatties: Aww, haha! I'm glad you feel that way! Sometimes I worry that the premise might just be too close to one another and they are becoming repetitive somehow, so that's a relief to hear. I wouldn't say that, really, I'm more like a humbled servant but it's so super sweet of you to say._

 _16\. Mistra Rose: I'm glad that you gave it a chance, thank you! Sakura learns a bit more each and every day, I think. :3 I wanted to do something like that, but the more I thought about it, there is years of separation, there has to be a bit of lag upon the first meeting, but worry not, that was put in the mental vault for later, I think. .o You too!_

 _17\. Guest I am: Aww, thanks! This one won't be for Tobirama, but the next one I plan on writing will be for him right off the bat. I am not offended, I promise!_

 _18\. Mameha: Aww, thank you! Nope, Hashirama isn't in control of the puppets. What a twist, though, if he was! *hugs and kisses back*_

 _19\. Guest 4: Thanks. XD_

 _20\. Mia: I'm sorry! This story won't be for Tobirama, but the next one will be. I promise! I was reading the comments and thinking about the story and realized where I wanted to go and knew that the next story was going to be for him, so... yeah. I'm sorry! Oh no, I'm not offended! I promise! I loved hearing your input!_

 _21\. Ygag: Hashirama is such a babe. *drools* I just love him._

 _22\. VesperChan: Oh goodness, thank you for saying that! You are too sweet! Huh, I wonder how it's changed over the years. Interesting. Well, Sakura is currently being thrown for a loop so it's going to be interesting to see how she handles it. :D Thank you!_

 _23\. AlliXCane: Aw, thanks!_

 _24\. RogueAngel82: Ha, yeah, that's kind of what I was going for! XD Haha, I don't think that's going to happen just yet. I'm not a strong enough writer for that yet, I think. C:_

 _25\. LePengwen: Thank you!_

 _26\. CrimsonCarter21: Thank you!_

 _27\. Hana-Taisho: Aw, thank you! I'm glad that you enjoy it! I just love hearing from everyone! I was really conflicted in the way that she would meet them, but I quickly realized this story was going to be more fast passed than the others and wasn't going to stop for much. It was going to be more like a speeding train than the rest of my stories, it's just the way this one is being planned out. Even this chapter. It's going to be moving. I know! I write it down but then I lose the paper or something and I go into a bout of depression for a while as I try and remember. It sucks! Thanks!_

 _28\. chobits15: Yeah, that really sucks. Thank you! Yeah, once again, this one won't be for Tobirama, but the next one will be! Stay tuned for that one!_

 _29\. caesuras: Thank you!_

 _30\. : Thank you? :3_

 _31\. Nadeshko-ale14: Aw, thank you for believing in me! Yes, that does make sense to me and I did think about it for a time but ultimately decided that while I love Tobirama to death, he just won't fit with the Sakura of this story the way she's going to become. Hm, I really haven't done a fic with Izuna as the love interest. I really should give that a try! :D Thank you!_


	4. The little boy

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I can not believe that this story has over 100 reviews! That is completely insane! Thank you all so much! I just love hearing all that you have to say! As I said before, this story isn't going to be like the others, it is literally going to have no chill whatsoever. So be ready for the punches! :D I've just been watching Twelve Kingdoms, which is an amazing anime, I totally recommend it! And it's enraptured me! Anyway, let me know what you think! Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 4,954**

Sakura couldn't breath. She was being yanked into many different directions. Not only did she have to deal with everything that this Sakura did in her life - having to own up to someone else's actions - but this is something else entirely. This wasn't like Hashirama and Madara, who were Sakura Seto's childhood friends. They were their own people from beginning to end. Sakura was just a chapter in their young lives, but they were able to grow and live around and beyond her existence. Sakura wasn't naïve enough to believe that she was more important to them than she was.

But this is something completely different. This is a child that they are talking about. A little, innocent boy who lost his mother - and who even knows how _that_ happened - and had her replaced by this Sakura. An imposter.

Sakura knew that women birthed children young in this time period, but if Sakura did the math right in her head, Sakura had to of been - if this Sakura was the same age as her - then she would have been about fourteen years old. Sakura tried to think back to when she was fourteen years old, what she was doing with her life and where she was mature-wise.

Sakura had started her training beneath Tsunade Senju full time while Naruto slipped away with Jiraiya on their journey away from the Hidden Leaf. She had turned her focus from being a little, whiney, cry baby to someone she could be proud of and was well on her way to taking the first steps. She was by no means ready to put her life on hold to get pregnant and have a child of her own. The thought of bearing Sasuke's children was always in the form of childish fantasy. It wasn't something that she really thought about or knew the severity of what being a parent could really be.

Sakura was an only child. She was the baby in the family. She never really had to put people before her in a familial sense. Her parents gave her everything she could have really wanted but never made her responsible for any of it.

But somehow this version of Sakura was able to do what Sakura herself was unsure was even possible for her. She had a child young and even though he's dirty, Sakura can feel the strength in his grip around her neck as he holds onto her and his weight in her arms. He's a cute little boy, but he has weight to him. He eats well and is strong. He's just a bit dirty. That never harmed anyone.

"Sakura?" The woman asks, putting her hands on her hips. "Girl, are you even listening to me?" Sakura doesn't respond, staring off into space. "Bah!" The woman says, waving her hand around dismissively. "Fine by me. Take the little hellion! Like I care, anyhow! A boy belongs with his mother. Don't come asking me for any more favors!"

The woman waves her hands around more, before turning around and walking away.

That's what pulls Sakura from her stupor. With the boy tightly in her arms, Sakura scrambles to run after the older woman. Sakura didn't know what else to do. She didn't want to just be left alone with the small boy. Sakura knew how to take care of children, she was a doctor after all, but she's never been a mother. She didn't know how to be a mother. As much as she loved her own mother, she didn't really see her mother as a very good example. All her mother used to ever tell her was how hard she wasn't working. How she wasn't focusing on what mattered.

For a point of time, Sakura almost wondered if she hated her mother. She hated that her mother wanted her to be the perfect little princess that all the boys would fawn over, rather than being a shinobi. Her mother didn't instill the care for her own life in Sakura that Sakura felt like she should have. Sakura didn't know to really worry for her life and so she never really tried to make herself strong. Just pretty.

Sakura wanted so badly to go back in time and be bale to smack eight-year-old Sakura upside the head and convince her that the only way to make it into the world would be to train her ass off and focus less on boys and more on herself as a person and a shinobi. Sakura wanted to hate her mom for not instilling the desire for being a shinobi, the life she chose, into her.

But at some point, Sakura just decided that she had to take responsibility for that herself. She should have known that her life would be in danger if she didn't do something to learn to protect herself. So she let that annoyance and border lining hatred for her mother go.

There is no way Sakura can take care of this cute little boy. She doesn't know him. She doesn't remember him. What if he's allergic to something and Sakura gives it to him? What would she do then? what if he was allergic to the herbs she would give him to curb his reaction to an allergen? Sakura would never forgive herself for hurting this poor little boy. If he really was the son of the Sakura that she's pretending to be, then he's her responsibility.

Sakura stops in front of what could only be a large shack. The woman shoots her an annoyed look before walking into the shack. As soon as the door opens, Sakura can hear the sounds of children screaming and crying.

"Heavens!" The woman squawks. "I've been gone ten minutes and this place is an absolute mess!"

"What's her name?" Sakura whispers into Manmaru's ear. "The woman who was taking care of you. Who is she?"

"Mommy's friend," Manmaru says, pulling his dirty little face from Sakura's shoulder to look into her eyes with his own very dark ones. "Yuzu-san."

Sakura wasn't so sure that they were friends, but at least now she had a name to the woman who has been taking care of her "son". She wasn't sure what to expect from this woman but if Sakura promised to be back in a week and three months have past and this woman was still watching after this boy for her, than the woman couldn't be all that bad.

Sakura slowly, cautiously, steps into the little home to see that there are three children running around, all dirty and crying. One looks to be ten, one looks to be eight and the youngest appears to be about the same age as Manmaru.

"Clean up this place, messy children," the woman - Yuzu - says, clapping her hands together, frowning both impatiently and unhappily. The kids - all dirty with clothes in much the same style and appearance as Manmaru - are all screaming and crying while they are cleaning up thrown toys and other miscellaneous things that are strewn about. The kitchen, living room and one of the bedrooms, probably Yuzu's judging by the lack of bright colors and children's stuffed animals.

There was a hallway that leads deeper into the house, one is obviously a bathroom that Sakura can see and probably another bedroom for the children to share but Sakura didn't feel right about going in any further, so she just stood by the door and looked around.

"Yuzu-san...?" Sakura says softly, watching as the woman walks around picking up toys and clothes thrown about. "I'm sorry about leaving Manmaru here for so long..."

Yuzu sends Sakura a dark unamused look. "Not as sorry as I am, Sakura. Just take his stuff and go. I have enough to deal with as it is."

Sakura shifts uncomfortably, adjusting Manmaru in her arms a bit. "Do you need some help?"

Yuzu glares at her. "No, I just need to clean up this house and get these kids under control. I was worried sick about you Sakura! I told you I couldn't take care of another little hellion. Why were you away for so long, huh?"

Sakura didn't know how to respond to that. She really had no answers for this woman. Although she seems very crass, now that Sakura is over her initial surprise, there is deep care in the woman's dark eyes. Sakura's disappearance actually affected the older woman. She was upset and worried and even though she said she was going to put Manmaru up for adoption, Sakura is seriously doubting that she would have, now.

"I'm sorry, Yuzu-san," Sakura says, slowly. "I didn't mean to be away for so long. What can I do to help you. Please?" Sakura felt bad. She really did. Even though it wasn't her that did this to Yuzu, the woman was older and had a lot more to deal with. There had to be a reason for this Sakura to have left her five year old son with Yuzu - who has three children of her own to deal with - and just left him there. For three months?

Yuzu stares at Sakura for a moment, studying her face for a moment. Her arms are full of toys and clothes. She lets out a long, drawn out sigh. "Help me clean up." Sakura nods, leaning down to put Manmaru onto the ground.

"No, no!" Manmaru says, shaking his head briskly and holding onto her tightly. "No, I don't want you to go, Mommy."

Sakura's heart breaks a bit. "Honey, I'm not going to go anyway. I'm just going to help Yuzu-san clean the house. Help too, okay? I won't go anywhere."

Manmaru looks up at her with large dark eyes for a moment, making sure she wasn't lying. Once he seems to believe her, he lets her go and starts to help out too. The rest of the kids have finally calmed down and are cleaning up too. They blab and talk to one another while Sakura and Yuzu just work in silence. Sakura didn't really know this woman and she was rough around the edges, but she didn't seem all that bad.

"How are you?" Yuzu asks, frowning, as she cleans off the small kitchen table.

Sakura blinks a few times, looking over at the other woman. "I'm okay. I really am sorry that I was away. There was some... things I had to take care of that I didn't want Manmaru to be involved in."

Yuzu crosses her arms across her chest. "Is this about the boy's father?"

Sakura blinks in surprise, not having thought about that before. Not really. Who was Manmaru's father? Sakura had a very bad feeling about all of this. Not so much about the boy's father, but Sakura can imagine why she's a single mother and the thought alone is pretty horrible, but about why she would leave her son with another woman who obviously has so much on her plate only to awaken in that strange, half underground... hall? Sakura wasn't really sure what it was but it definitely had something to do with those men that were following her.

Even though she has no idea what those men could have wanted from her, she now had that to worry about.

Sakura now had to bring along Manmaru and put him into that danger. It wasn't just about Sakura anymore. Now she had to worry about them trying to hurt or capture or whatever to Manmaru alongside herself. She wasn't the only one anymore. She certainly couldn't ask Yuzu to look after her son. He was her responsibility so she would be the one to look after him.

"No..." Sakura says after too long of a silence. Yuzu just stares at her with narrowed eyes, showing her disbelief plainly on her face.

Sakura was telling the truth. To a degree. Sakura didn't really know what any of this was about. She didn't know why she left Manmaru alone with Yuzu and three small children. She didn't know what to do. What she wanted to do or how she was even going to do it. She was told that she had to help Madara Uchiha and the first Hokage, but no one ever said anything about a son.

"Yuzu-san..." Sakura says slowly, looking up at the dark haired woman. "I'm sorry about being away for so long."

Yuzu harrumphs, shaking her head. She steps into the hall and throws the clothes and toys into a separate room down the hall. Once she gets back into the main room, stepping over Manmaru and the middle boy who have shifted from picking up the toys to playing with them. Yuzu spares them a simple glance before sighing and moving on.

She stops right in front of Sakura, putting her hands on her hips and staring into Sakura's eyes, being about as tall as her. "What will you do now?"

Sakura didn't really have the answer for her, and her immediate reaction was to admit that she didn't know, but then, looking into Yuzu's eyes, she knew that the woman would offer up her home to stay in, even though she was struggling as it was and didn't have the room to accommodate them. Sakura couldn't tell her the truth, even if she wanted to. Even though she didn't have any bad feelings about this woman bit was in fact becoming more endeared toward her, Sakura didn't really need to trust her.

"I have a place to stay," Sakrua says, "but we won't be in town for long."

Yuzu nods slowly, looking away. "Well, stay for dinner, then." She shrugs her shoulders as if she didn't really care one way or the other. But Sakura was beginning to learn better.

Sakura nods. "Sure, thank you."

* * *

The dinner was very simple, Sakura expected as much. She learned all of Yuzu's kids' names. From oldest to youngest; Kotsu, Noato and Hanbito. She learned that their father was on the village watch and is usually never home. Yuzu didn't say much about it, other than to just shrug her shoulders nonchalantly and pretend that it didn't really matter to her.

But Sakura could tell it wore on her. She must really miss her husband but they are already living in practical squalor, they couldn't really afford to have him cut back any. Sakura could understand that, not from any form of personal understanding, but from a logical and empathetic standpoint.

Sakura packed up Manmaru's meager belongings, sealing them away in a scroll before she took Manmaru's hand and left the house hours later. Manmaru was tired and had to be picked up a few minutes later because he was starting to fall asleep. Sakura cradled his little body in her arms, feeling a powerful swell of protection for this little boy. As much as it confused her, she knew that she had to protect this little boy. While Yuzu took care of him for the past few months, there was only one person in the world who would protect this little boy above all else, and that was going to be her.

Sakura checked into an inn that night and laid beside the little boy, watching him sleep. He was still dirty and Sakura knew he needed to take a bath in the morning and get some new clothes to replace the dirty ones. His belongings were meager, but she did notice something that Manmaru was insistent upon making sure Sakura had and it was a had sewn black cat named Kuro.

Sakura grabs out the scroll and brings forth the little black cat, turning it toward the moonlight to take in the dirty thing. It's missing one of the buttons that are used for it's eyes and there is loose threads at the tip of it's tail acting as tail fur. It was kind of cute. Even if she could make out the poor stitch lines, she could see that there was a lot of painstaking work put into it.

Sakura had to wonder who made it for him. It was probably her, which was unfortunately, seeing as Sakura didn't know how to sew very well. It's probably a trait she's going to have to pick up and perfect a bit if she's going to be dealing with a little boy and a ninja on top of that. She knew how to mend clothes and sutra wounds, but not how to make an actual cat. That was kind of cool.

And perhaps a little telling.

Sakura puts Kuro against Manmaru's side, watching as the little boy curls around it, hugging it to his chest. Sakura runs her fingers through feathery pitch black hair, slowly, not wanting to wake the little boy. She just stared down at the little boy's face, admiring how absolutely adorable he is. His lashes are a mile long and pitch black against his pale flesh. Sakura was completely jealous of how high his cheekbones were.

He was so absolutely adorable, Sakura couldn't even see herself in him. He didn't have her skin tone, her face shape, her eye, mouth, and nose shape. This boy had to of gotten all of his features from his father because he didn't get any of them from her. She runs her fingers through his long black hair, admiring how soft it is before laying her head down and letting him rest without her touching him and possibly waking up.

She may not mentally remember when he was born or who his father is, but this little boy had no one other than her.

If Sakura Haruno was going to have to become Sakura Seto, for this little boy, she would.

Sakura wasn't dumb. She could tell this boy was an Uchiha. The frilly, girly side of Sakura's mind that hasn't reared her ugly head in years made a loud squeal off in the recesses of her mind, but the logical, hard working Sakura was easily able to ignore her. Sakura thought about the possibilities for this little boy's father and the number of Uchiha that she knew was in fact limited, but she didn't have all of Sakura Seto's memories yet. She didn't know if Madara was the only Uchiha that she knew.

That other boy, the one who looked like Sasuke that was what Sakura assumed to be Madara's little brother, also seemed to know her, and not only that but Tobirama-sama as well. Sakura still has to be careful about just assuming things. Just because she doesn't remember meeting the two younger brothers, doesn't mean that she didn't.

But Sakura couldn't really think about it now. She had to get some sleep. Knowing Sakura's luck, Manmaru is going to be up at the crack of dawn anyway so she'd better let her mind rest for now. Think more on it later.

As Sakura should have suspected, Manmaru was up at the crack of dawn wanting to play. Normally she would be bothered by being woken up so early after hardly having any time to sleep but this was different. This gave Sakura a reason to get up and move around. It was a purpose for her. After going through all of this without having any real direction other than to protect the First Hokage and Madara, this was something more solid. Something right in front of her. Something that she could focus on.

It was a bit of a relief.

Sakura and Manmaru went out to get him some more clean clothes before returning to their room and having them both take a bath. First Manmaru, cleaning him up and changing him into a new simple kimono and pants, a fitting black color that matched his eyes and hair, before Sakura took a quick one herself while Manmaru played in the next room with the door to the bathroom ajar so that she would be able to hear him.

Sakura sat down on her bed, hair pulled up into the towel while she takes another and dries out Manmaru's hair.

"Mommy," Manmaru says, petting Kuro's head.

"Yes, Manmaru?" Sakura asks, pulling out a simple comb and working gently on the tangles.

"Where were you? Why were you gone for so long?" he asks, tilting his head slightly to look up at her.

Sakura tilts his head forward as she keeps working. "I'm sorry, Manmaru. I don't have an answer for you. I didn't mean to leave you behind for so long. But don't worry, I'm not going to leave you again." It was true. Sakura wasn't going to hurt this little boy. Not if she had a choice in the matter. This little boy should have to pay for the mistakes of his mother - whatever those may be.

"Will you leave again?" Manmaru asks, little shoulders bowing inward, sadly.

Sakura shakes her head, turning the little boy around and pulling him tightly into her arms. She was not the boy's mother, but one day she would be. She would remember them soon enough, it seems. The lines will begin to really blur. They already seem to when it comes to this boy. Maybe Sakura had a motherly instinct inside of her that awakened when this boy called out to her or the girl this Sakura used to be bleeds into her own feelings and memories.

"No, Manmaru. I won't leave you. I am so sorry for doing so before, but I will stay with you and protect you," Sakura says softly into his damp hair.

The little boy grabs hold of her simple kimono, holding onto it tightly. "I love you, mommy. I'm glad that you aren't leaving, again!" Sakura hugs him a little bit closer.

Manmaru turns around Sakura continues to comb through his hair, gently removing all of the knots that have formed as the little boy continues to play with his stuffed cat. After a few minutes of silence, the little boy calls out to her again.

"Mommy?"

Her heart swells a bit. "Yes, Manmaru?"

"What's that dot on your forehead?"

Sakura blinks in surprise before reaching up and touching her Yin seal on the center of her forehead. "Oh, this? It's my Yin seal. It contains my yin chakra just in case I need it."

Manmaru turns around in front of her and tilts his head to the side cutely, dark hair framing his face. "I don't get it..."

Sakura smiles faintly. "It's alright. I'll have plenty of time to explain it all to you."

Pitch black eyes stare up at her, so beautiful and dark. The eyes of an Uchiha. Yet they are nothing like Sasuke's eyes. Manmaru's eyes are soft and lively and beautifully innocent. They haven't seen anything horrible or scary. They don't know the loss of love or any form of pain this world has to offer. They don't have the Sharingan.

Sakura reaches out and lightly caresses his pale, soft cheek. "I'll teach you everything you need to learn to become a ninja," Sakura says. "You are young, but it is prime time to learn the basics." Sakura smiles softly. "Would you like that?"

Manmaru nods, smiling happily. "Does that mean I get to spend more time with mommy?"

Sakura leans forward and kisses his forehead, the action feeling so natural. "Yeah."

* * *

They packed up their things - well, Sakura did, Manmaru just played with his toys - and they checked out of the inn. They traveled about an hour away, following a stream so that they would be able to easily return if they needed to but also be provided a bit of privacy to train. Or at least, begin training. Sakura realized that while her that was born and raised here may of have a bit of training with Madara and Hashirama as children, she wouldn't have been nearly as proficient of a shinobi as Sakura is.

Just because he's a small child doesn't mean he can't at least begin learning how to be a shinobi. Besides, unlike Sakura, this boy is from a clan and has clan blood flowing through his body. He'll become more powerful than her in no time if he's anything like the Uchiha in Sakura's time. Sakura hopes so. If this boy became more powerful than her, then she'd have nothing to worry about. She's been doing just fine against these people. She wants to make sure that this adorable little boy would be alright too.

At least, without losing himself. She won't lose this little boy like she lost Sasuke.

Sakura and Manmaru took their shoes off and played in the water, all the while Sakura spoke about chakra, using the flow of the water to explain the flow of chakra and Sakura wasn't surprised that the boy was able to easily answer her questions afterwards with a bit of help. He was definitely an Uchiha and picked up shinobi traits without a hitch.

"Does everyone have chakra?" Manmaru asks, splashing in the water with his feet.

Sakura nods. "Yes. Every living being holds chakra within them. Even the world around us is filled with chakra. It is called nature energy. This energy flows through any and all living beings and only those with the ability of a sage can access the nature energy that flows around us, but everyone can use their chakra so long as they have enough control to maintain it."

Manmaru blinks innocently, not fully understanding, but that was fine. Sakura wasn't going to force him to learn and understand. She was going to let it be a gradual thing, but she would never allow him to mistaken it for an easy ride. He would need to learn how to protect himself merely because of his father's genes making up half of who he is. People will seek him out merely because he is a bloodline holder so far away from his clan.

If Manmaru learns the way of the shinobi and decides not to do anything with it, than that is completely his choice, but Sakura wants him to be able to defend himself should he need to, but that is a future thing. He is small and innocent now, so Sakura will handle all of the fighting and protecting, but she won't be able to guard him forever.

"Can we come back and play again tomorrow, Mommy?" Manmaru asks, as Sakura helps slip his sandals onto his little feet.

"Sure," Sakura says, standing up and wrapping her cloak around herself. "Did you like learning about chakra today, Manmaru?"

Manmaru nods, happily. He takes Sakura's hand and together they walked back to the inn where Sakura booked for another night. Sakura then went out to get some food for them before she spent the next few hours learning about Manmaru.

She learned that his favorite color was blue - which only made Sakura laugh - and that he loves cats. Sakura did in fact make Kuro for him when he was little and that he's used to traveling around because Sakura Seto had become somewhat nomadic but only stayed in the Land of Fire. But he did mention something that she didn't really think about. That he visited her home a few times every year.

"My home?" Sakura asks, green eyes wide. "What was my home like?"

Manmaru's shoulders droop a bit. "It's really sad. You said the fire wiped it out when you were just a young girl. Before I was even born."

Sakura leans back against their shared bed from where they both sat on the floor to eat. Sakura rolls her shoulders back a bit, trying to imagine what it was like. "My home burned? Did I ever say why it was burned down?"

Manmaru looks down with large, dark eyes. "Umm," he says softly. "I don't really remember. Something about a fan?" His thin eyebrows pull together tightly, unable to recall her exact words. He shakes his head after a moment, unable to recall.

Sakura looks around the room slowly, curious. A fan? A fan and fire? Like the Uchiwa fan? The clan symbol for the Uchiha clan?

Sakura wasn't sure if it was Manmaru's words that awakened a memory within Sakura Seto for Sakura Haruno to witness or her imagination got the best of her, but that night Sakura dreamt of a great fire. A fire that was the beginning of the end of the life of Sakura Seto.

 _For the Reviewers:_

 _1\. Eagle-Hawk: Thanks!_

 _2\. onlyagirl: Thanks! This Sakura is too old to be dealing with bullshit. Haha! Mmhmm! Thank you!_

 _3\. kattylin: Pff, aww._

 _4\. Caesuras: Aww! I'm happy! Manmaru is already growing on me too._

 _5\. Y: Thank you! There is a little bit more than meets the eye, I think. :)_

 _6\. Mia: Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. Don't worry, you didn't offend me. Madara is going to have a major difference in this story especially in regards to Manmaru that I don't think many will see coming. :3 Also, that TobixSaku story is in the works! It'll be out soon, I hope!_

 _7\. Ikillatfirstsight: Hehe. Thank you!_

 _8\. AboMakea: Didn't see it coming, right? Hehe! Thank you!_

 _9\. Guest 1: Thank you, but I already said that it will not be. I'm sorry. :(_

 _10\. Guest 2: Ahaha!_

 _11\. LeonaMasha: I'm just full of foreshadowing, aren't I? Haha! Aww, thank you! I do enjoy hearing what people think about my stories! I gladly accept your cyber hugs!_

 _12\. Ygag: Hashirama is bae. I just love him to bits and pieces. I could never do anything to make him bad, he's just too damn precious to me! Duu._

 _13\. La-Grace-Fille: Hehe!_

 _14\. chiniRomy: Haha._

 _15\. Madam3Mayh3m: Well, that's good. For now, the boy is definitely an Uchiha, but it's not so clear if he's Madara's son..._

 _16\. : Thanks?_

 _17\. PeopleOrderOurPatties: Aww, thank you! The more I thought about it, the more I realized this story just wouldn't work out if Sakura was with Tobirama, but I knew that another idea I had would work perfectly! So, yeah, thanks!_

 _18\. Trina sexxy: Thank you!_

 _19\. Guest 3: Hmm, I may have a few idea's brewing..._

 _20\. Guest 4: Hm, I wonder... XD Oh no, I could understand you just fine! I can't believe English is your third language! That is truly incredible!_

 _21\. Fallen Angel Tears: Oh my goodness, that is too kind of you to say! Thank you for such high praise!_

 _22\. Guest 5: Oh wow. Haha!_

 _23\. TinkoftheWolf: Sakura is at the point in her life when she's done dealing with Asura and Indra's bullshit. Regardless of which form they take. Haha!_

 _24\. yankey: There is a history between them all and it will become a bit more clear as Sakura's memories start returning to her. The puppets still have a grand role to play in the future even if they begin to fade into the background a bit._

 _25\. Mistra Rose: Wait, who are you referring to? Oh, work has been hectic. I do birthday parties for children and so now that summer is upon us (like winter is upon the people of GoT! XD) I am working more than I used to, but I didn't want people to think I had forgotten about my stories! I'm still here! I'll keep writing! I promise! Thank you for asking!_

 _26\. tokubetsu: Thank you! Sorry about the wait!_

 _27\. silverwolfighter00: Thank you! XD_

 _28\. whatnameshallitake: Hehe, we shall see. There may be a bit of a road bump in the future. XD_

 _29\. Aria: Oh yes, Hashirama is still a child at heart. XD_

 _30\. Redloving Jade: That's kind of the plan. Give her something more pressing to focus on while the boys fight. It will be very interesting when this all comes to pass, I think. Oh no, I definitely enjoy hearing what you have to say! No worries!_

 _31\. mameha: Betcha didn't see that one coming, did you? XD_

 _32\. Manna: Oh yes, let Sakura's inner mommy out._

 _33\. Kemi Kemi: Lol, gotchu!_

 _34\. Ayla27: Oh yes. I did just do that! That's the big mystery isn't it? It's going to get very interesting indeed!_

 _35\. Nadeshko-ale14: Thank you! My next story will be for Sakura and Tobirama, though! Promise!_

 _36\. Yomiii21: :3 Thanks?_

 _37\. Saku hyuuga: Thank you!_

 _38\. lightsbane1905: ...quite._

 _39\. Alice aquabld: I wonder!_

 _40\. BSCace: I'm like a ninja. I just post these without notifying anyone to see who's watching. XD Oh yes, the elders are going to have a field day when Sakura comes to town. :3_

 _41\. Guest 6: Oh goodness, thank you so much for your kind words!_

 _42\. Guest 7: Haha!_


	5. Meet

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I am so sorry about the wait! I absolutely enjoy hearing anything and everything you all have to say, it really makes my day! I'm sorry this update was so slow, I've been really thinking about how to proceed and where I want to go with this story and I think I'm starting to get it onto the correct path. I just need a bit more time and chapters to work out exactly where it is going to go because try as I may to plan it out, as I write it, things change. Anyway, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 5,282**

Sakura Seto awoke, feeling deep in her heart that something was wrong. She struggled, pushing herself to her feet - which at one point in time had been a simple task, now with a larger belly such a thing have become quite the trying endeavor - and moved as quickly as she dare toward home. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but this overwhelming feeling of fear and alertness just wasn't something that she could ignore.

Sakura had fallen asleep beneath the cherry blossom tree by accident. She hadn't meant to be sleeping out in the cold while pregnant, but after the long trek out there - a lot longer now that she was moving slowly - she had to sit down and rest while she waits for Madara. It had been months since she last saw him, the night that they shared together, and had been dying to see him again. She had done everything she could think of to get ahold of him, but after everything that went down, she was beginning to fear that she wouldn't ever get to see him again.

But faithful as always, this particular cherry blossom tree has become a sort of private place where the two of them would meet. More so, she would go there, and whenever he came to see her, that is usually where he found her. She hoped that by going there all day, every day, she would be able to meet with his quicker, but alas, the war has kept him away from her for the entire time.

Sakura didn't even make it over the large hill that blocked her view of her home village before she knew that something absolutely horrible was happening. She could hear the horrible sound of people screaming and buildings collapsing. Sakura grabbed hold of her stomach, a way to balance herself, before huffing it the rest of the way up the hill to stare down at her home village, eyes wide in absolute terror and horror.

Her village was burning.

Now she had a clear sight of the inferno brightening the sky as smoke billowed upward. It was thick and black and impossible to see the moon through.

Sakura knew it was stupid. The logical choice in this situation should have been to turn and run - or, well waddle in her situation - as fast as she could away from there and investigate when the carnage was finally over. But she couldn't just do that. The only thing running through her mind, at that moment, was that her mother was down there.

The pink haired girl couldn't just sit around and do nothing while her village was burning and her mother could be who-knows-where! She had been taking care of her mother for as long as she can remember. Would her mother even be able to get out? Would she even be able to realize that she was in danger? Sakura didn't know, but she couldn't just leave her mother to such a fate. She had to make sure that she was alright.

So Sakura did the silliest, looniest idea someone in her position could have done and went to the village. And what she saw was traumatizing.

Men, women, children, people of all ages murdered in the streets while their homes, possessions and - in some cases even their own loved ones - all burned around them. Staring into their dead eyes, all wide in horror and fear, all seemed to stare back at her. Piercing her with their gaze. Throwing up was the only thing that Sakura could do in that instant. Her eyes and lungs already hurt because of the smoke, but this? This was like a physical punch in the gut. Like five hundred times.

Sakura had to hunch over as much as she could with a pregnant belly in her way and make her way through the streets, after no longer being able to throw up anymore. It was both a good and a bad thing that these attackers were systematically taking out each section of the village.

Good, because it sounded like most of the carnage was on the other side of the village, and bad, because Sakura's home was probably one of the first to be hit. It was odd, though, when Sakura came across her home, because, unlike the rest of the street, there was someone walking out of it. Definitely not someone she knew, and Sakura had to duck down behind one of the other buildings to hide from the man walking out of it.

At first she was confused. What was he doing in her house? Who was he? He certainly wasn't someone that she knew.

But then she saw it.

In his hand was a sword. She didn't remember much about him, but that sword was engrained into her mind forever. On it's hilt, clear as day, was a symbol. A symbol that Sakura recognized as kanji for eternal flames. And the blade was a intricate crystal like color except for the edge, which was darkened with thick, red blood.

Sakura couldn't breath, and couldn't even move as he headed off down the street, away from her. If he had headed her way, Sakura was certain she would have been dead too. She wouldn't have been able to hide from him. All she could do, all she could think about, was stare at the spot that he once stood in her doorway and feel in her very soul that her mother was gone.

* * *

Sakura laid there, in her bed, with Manmaru in her arms as she stares up at the ceiling, five nights after her dream of the fire. He holds Kuro tightly to his chest and buries his nose into Sakura's shoulder as he sleeps. Sakura moves away slightly and turns to him, running her fingers through his hair a bit, being sure not to wake him, though. He was so small and innocent, and Sakura just couldn't believe that this adorable little boy shared half of her genetics.

It was getting easier to be able to see this little boy as her own. No matter how hard she looks, she can't really see a lot of herself in Manmaru, but he did have a lot of her mannerisms. His pouting face was her own and his cute little glare was her own as well. But there wasn't much else.

They had yet another long day behind them. It's been almost a month since Sakura took back her place as Manmaru's mother and has been carefully, and lovingly, teaching him how to survive. She taught him all about Chakra, it's flow and where it comes from. She taught him all of the handsigns, making sure that he practiced every day so that it was ingrained into his memory, like it was for the rest of the Shinobi world. He would need it.

But Sakura wasn't going to sacrifice his childhood for training. They didn't train all day, every day, or anything like that. Sakura spent as much time as she could making sure that he was happy. She would bring him back to Yuzu's house to visit the other children and see how Yuzu was doing - secretly, because she worried about the older woman but won't say that. That would probably get Sakura kicked out.

Always, though, they would return tot he inn at night. Sakura would hold the little boy in her arms while he falls asleep, and stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out what to do next. She has been keeping an ear to the ground, trying to hear any information in regards to the Senju and Uchiha, but they have been very quiet ever since Sakura met up with them in that little cave.

Sakura lets out a long winded sigh. She really didn't know what to do anymore. There was a very vague future in front of her that she's going to be tripping and stumbling toward. In some ways, it's good to have a sort of direction in life. It's good to have a purpose, but she's coming to fret, almost alarmingly so, that she may not be striving toward it. She needs to break away from this and seek the direction herself.

So many things are still shrouded in mystery. A lot having to do with her past and her future. She just hasn't been able to properly put the pieces together quiet yet and she's beginning to fear that the memories, as they come to her, won't be in the correct order, which means she's going to have to work hard to put the timeline in order for herself. If she will even ultimately need it. If Sakura Seto is taking over in the memories department, what will Sakura Haruno be doing?

She can't keep living this way any longer. Not feeling the way she does - as if she's stuck. She has to move forward.

Sakura curls around the little boy as much as she can and closes her eyes, forcing herself to relax and fall asleep, relishing in the warmth of the little body next to her.

* * *

Sakura dreams of the her that she's becoming. She is standing under a large cherry blossom tree, looking up at the beautiful flower-like tree. The warm summer air blew on the back of her neck, pulling at her hair and clothes. The wind felt great against the hot sun beating down on her. Sakura smiles brightly up at the tree, just loving the flurry of motion and color.

It was beautiful.

Sakura came out here often to watch the cherry blossom tree blow in the breeze in all of the seasons of the year. She has lived near this tree her entire life and was told once that it was blooming the day she was born and that is what inspired her parents to name her what they did. She didn't used to visit the tree often but since she was no longer able to be with Hashirama and Madara, she found herself there whenever. She's not sure why she always came here, just that she did. She found a sense of peace here.

Her life has slowed down, grown quiet, since Hashirama and Madara left her. She missed them every single day and ached for the moment in which all of them would be reunited once more. She just wanted them to all be together again. She knew that Hashirama and Madara had some business to deal with between themselves, each other, and their clans, but that didn't stop her from missing them.

Sakura runs her fingers through her loose fringe, letting her eyes slip closed for a moment.

Someone wraps their arms around her and Sakura jumps in surprise, turning slightly to see messy black hair resting over her shoulder. She can feel hot breath brushing against her neck.

"Madara," Sakura giggles, resting her hands against the ones wrapped around her waist. "How did you know that I was going to be here?"

"I may not be an expert sensor," Madara says, wrapping his arms around her tighter, "but I am good enough to sense someone who isn't even trying to hide herself. Give me some credit."

Sakura smiles, turning around in the older boy's arms and hugging him tightly. "How are you?" Sakura asks, burying her face in his chest, relishing in the warmth given off by his body heat and dark blue clothing. Madara was always so warm, Sakura just loved it. She always felt so cold. There was always this chill to her skin that felt nice getting rid of whenever Madara was near.

"I'm okay," Madara says, letting out a long winded sigh. "My father has been over-bearing for the last couple of months really pressuring me to stay on the front lines."

Sakura's eyebrows pull together. "To... fight against Hashirama...?"

Madara lifts his head, long, messy black hair falling over his right eye as he stares past her up at the flowing light pink peddles. He doesn't respond right away, dark eyes unreadable. Finally, he says, "Yes. Hashirama is... he is very strong. As a kid I always knew that he was something else, but hearing what he can do on the battlefield, seeing the devastation he can leave behind is..." Madara hesitates a moment, a crease forming between his eyes. "It is unlike anything that I could have imagined."

Sakura's eyebrows pull together. "What does that mean? What is Hashirama able to do?"

"Amazing things," Madara says softly, a touch of pride for his one time best friend slips through, but he ignores it. "Hashirama holds control over woodstyle, something that no one in our clan has ever faced before. Naturally, you would think that wood would be beaten by fire, but his art is so powerful, it'd have to be really hot in order to even slow the branches down. Let alone stop it!"

Sakura's eyes widen in shock. "No way!"

Madara lets out a long winded sigh. "Hashirama, with his infinite kindness, generosity and stupidity. Of course, he would be able to control a prestigious element no one ever knew existed and therefore have no way of fighting against. It's almost some form of poetic justice, I suppose." Madara shakes his head, rolling his eyes. There was a bit of an annoyed curl of his lips. Then he sighs again.

"He's something else," Sakura says, offering Madara a little smile.

Madara lets out a slow, deep breath. "You can say that again."

"I haven't seen him in a while," Sakura says softly, resting her head against Madara's shoulder. "I miss him. I miss the times where the three of us could be together."

"I hate him..." Madara whispers softly.

"Who?" Sakura asks, voice muffled by his shoulder. "Hashirama?"

"No," Madara says softly. "My father. No matter what he does, what he says, it's always so...so wrong. He just doesn't get that Hashirama isn't someone that can easily be defeated. He will sacrifice the clan to stop one man. And I'm not even sure any of us would be able to do it. But that won't stop him from throwing away lives as if they didn't matter."

Sakura blinks slowly, hugging Madara a bit tighter. "Is it really getting that bad?"

"Yes," Madara says after a long pause, sounding pained and defeated. "I don't know how much longer this can go on. I can't watch this anymore."

Sakura doesn't respond right away. She doesn't know what to say. She is detached from the situation because of Hashirama and Madara. They wanted her to have nothing to do with it. They wanted their relationship with her to remain in tact. Sakura was still training and becoming stronger, but no where near strong enough to stand against either of them. But that is not the goal. She was learning for the sake of being with Hashirama and Madara, because they were her friends and that was all that they were able to really bond with.

Now that they are getting older, it's easier to find other things to do, but they don't have as much time to do so. Sakura hasn't spoken to Hashirama in what feels like forever, while she is able to keep in contact with Madara through letters. These times, these moments, where she can actually touch and hold Madara were very precious to her.

"I wish this was all over," Sakura says softly, forcing her thoughts away.

Madara wraps his arms around her tightly, running one of his hands up and down her back before resting his chin on the top of her head. "Me too." His admittance is soft, meant for only her to hear. She was the only one that he would act so vulnerable around. Sakura would never judge him or think of him differently. Still, though, he wasn't a very open person about his emotions. It just wasn't how he was wired.

But that was fine. Sakura didn't want to change him. She loved him for who he was. She didn't want him to change.

* * *

Sakura opens her eyes, staring at the ceiling of the inn, feeling Manmaru drool on her forearm from where he was resting his little face. Sakura slowly extracts her arm out from under the little boy and sits up slowly. She moves out of the bed slowly, being sure not to jostle the bed too much and wake the little early bird sooner than he needs to be.

She glances out the window for a moment to see that the sky is starting to lighten up. Sakura lets out a little sigh and walks into the bathroom, closing the door with her foot a bit and turns her gaze toward the mirror. She locks eyes with herself in the mirror. It was her own eyes staring back at her, but burned into her mind's eye was the vision of someone who looked like her - younger with long hair and a simple kimono, but still a version of her - curled up in the arms of none other than Madara Uchiha.

Sakura Seto loved Madara Uchiha.

It was such a strange, yet foreseeable turn of events that left Sakura feeling tired, rather than surprised. The possibility of Manmaru being Madara's was always a possibility. Sakura didn't know any other Uchiha in this time and Sakura didn't think that Sakura was playing around with Madara and another Uchiha around the same time. It was just... odd.

Of _course_ the father of her child would be the one man in this time where she honestly couldn't form a coherent opinion on.

On one hand, Sakura wanted to hate Madara. She wanted to hate him, because it's his fault the Uchiha clan died, Sasuke left, Jiraiya died, the Leaf Village was attacked, Asuma died, Neji died and the countless others that had to die in order for the Fourth Great Ninja War to be fought and won. Many of which she had been buried up to her wrists in blood and guts inside them trying to save their lives, and for what? World peace? His own twisted version of it, at least? She didn't want to believe that there was a honorable reason for so many to die and so much to be destroyed.

But on the other hand, he wanted to stop the fighting. He wanted all of the badness in the world to come to an end. He went about it in a sick and twisted way, but his family, his blood, is cursed. That pretty much everything him and his family did since the beginning, is all because of a curse cast upon them by the Sage of Six Paths, even if the old man didn't originally intend for it to be that way.

Sakura just... didn't know what to think. This Madara, regardless of everything that _she_ has been through with the Madara of her time, there was next to nothing with this man. He hasn't done anything wrong. He hasn't done anything that Sakura can really hold against him. He's a young man born and raised in wartime, and just from the one time that she's spoken to him in person and the few memories that she's gained from Sakura Seto of this time, she can't really say that Madara is a bad man.

She just doesn't know. She can't hold a future that might not happen against Madara. That just wasn't right.

But there was definitely something else about the memory that she couldn't ignore: Madara's anger over the war. She wasn't all that sure what to think, really. He seemed genuinely fed up with the war and was ready to be done with it.

She could believe that. The Madara that she knew wanted to stop all wars permanently too, but there was another source of his anger as well. He seemed to have been really upset with his father too. Seeing every choice that his father made lead to the death of someone. Sakura can't imagine growing up in that kind of environment. She can't imagine looking up to her father and watching him kill people. Sakura knew that it was a reality in the world of Shinobi, but on such a magnitude, to be right there and watch it happen, it's got to be taxing on a child.

Madara hated his father because of it. He hated his father for what he had to do. For what he was doing.

And by some form of strange, twist of fate now Madara was making the same decisions his father was making.

How would Manmaru react?

The thought made her shiver. She shutters as the image of Manmaru's face, twisted into an angry scowl just like his father's, flashes across her mind. She couldn't bare seeing something like that.

Could that be why Manmaru wasn't with Madara now? That would make sense, she supposes. Madara wouldn't want his own son to see what he saw.

Unless he didn't know.

Sakura blinks rapidly, feeling an aching pain in her chest at the thought. Madara didn't know? Is it even possible?

No, no. It's not possible. They have been writing letters to one another. She had to of told him about being pregnant. He had to of been the father, so she would have told him.

When she told him she lost her memory, there looked like there was something that he wanted to say, or perhaps something that he wanted to ask. Could that have been what he wanted to say? Or ask?

Sakura lets out a long winded sigh. She just didn't know.

* * *

"Mommy, can I go play in the field?" Manmaru asks, pointing over to the field on the other side of the river. They have been going to all sorts of random places for training and playing since Manmaru came into Sakura's care. It's been two days since Sakura had that memory of Sakura Seto at the cherry blossom tree with Madara and it's been one of the few things Sakura can think about since.

She's pulled from her thoughts, once more, at the sound of Manmaru's voice. She pauses for a second to think about what he said before she takes a moment to scan the immediate area around them, not sensing any danger, before nodding.

He puts his half eaten riceball down and runs across the water, kicking up a bit of water before making it to the other side, shaking his feet out from the freezing cold water. Sakura packs up their lunch and puts it back into the scroll she originally got it from and cleans up around where they ate, listening to Manmaru with one ear while he babbles on and on about one thing or another, using his imagination to get into conflicts with people and fighting them off. Sakura offers a tiny smile at his childish innocence.

That horrible image of the anger on his face was too much for Sakura to bare. Not him. Not little Manmaru. He should never have that horrible look on his face. She knew it wasn't plausible for that look to never cross his face because of the life ahead of him as a shinobi, but she wanted to keep it off of him for as long as humanly possible. No matter what.

Sakura crosses the river too and sits down a few feet away from her son, watching as he plays around in the dirt, pulling up her hood to block her eyes of the bright sunlight. She stretches her legs out in front of her, crossing her ankles and leaning back on her hands, watching the little boy play. She just loved him so much. He was so innocent and little and she loved him.

Sakura may be able to still tell the difference between herself and Sakura Seto, but the love Sakura had for Manmaru was real. She truly felt it. He is a beautiful, perfect little boy. She honestly couldn't have asked for a better little boy. She was so thankful for having him in her life.

She leans her head back, closing her eyes for a moment letting the sun beat down on her, enjoying the heat. It was nice to take a single moment to just relax, letting her muscles relax. She wished that she could just lay back, enjoy the sun and even sleep for a while, but knew that she couldn't. She could hear Manmaru talking and giggling still and it was one of the many reminders she had going on that kept her focused on the mere fact that she couldn't do any of those. She had to look out for Manmaru. She was his first and last line of defense, especially if she's wrong about Madara knowing about their son.

But she didn't know and as fun as it was having that continuously nag at the back of her mind, she really didn't.

"Gotcha!" Manmaru calls out, leaping onto Sakura's chest, pushing her down onto her back while knocking the air out of her.

She groans loudly, letting out a little wheeze before saying, dryly, "I suppose I deserved that." She should have been paying more attention. Since it's really been warming up for the past few weeks, the snow has been melting and the world is starting to really heat up around them.

Manmaru giggles sweetly, burying his face into her chest and hugging her tightly. "I gotcha didn't I, Mommy?"

Sakura runs her fingers through his smooth, pitch black hair. "You did, Manmaru. Mommy wasn't paying very good attention, was she?"

Manmaru lifts his head from her chest to look at her with the most beautiful bottomless black eyes surrounded by mile long lashes. There cute, tiny crinkles around his eyes from his adorable smile. "Mm-hm!"

Sakura places her hands on his cheeks before pushing them together, making his lips purse outward. Sakura laughs at the fish face before letting the little boy go. Sakura didn't know for certain if Manmaru was Madara Uchiha's son or not - and without having a detailed recollection of the fourteen year old's sexcapades, she wouldn't be able to say for certain one way or the other - but so far she hasn't seen anything in Seto's memories or in her own gut feelings that would say otherwise. Or, at least, offer up another possibility onto the table.

Sakura feels someone coming almost too late. She jumps to her feet and pushes Manmaru behind her, feeling bad when he lets out a little cry of surprise and pain when he landed on his knee.

"Stay behind me," Sakura orders, widening her stance to hide the little boy completely behind her and her cloak.

A moment later, she feels Manmaru press against her, obeying her order. Sakura's eyes scan the open field around them with narrow green eyes spotting two separate groups approaching. One form Sakura's left and the other from almost directly in front of her. Sakura's heart jumps up into her chest as Mandara and Hashirama lead the two groups - on of Senju and one of Uchiha - with their brothers and four Uchiha for Madara and two Senju for Hashirama.

"Skipper!" Hashirama says, brown eyes wide as the Senju approach from head on. He deviates slightly so that he stops a few feet away from Sakura. She slowly relaxes her posture but makes sure to keep Manmaru behind her, heart pounding loudly in her ear.

"Sakura," Madara says once he gets close, casting a slow glance Hashirama's way before returning his gaze to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Sakura says, looking between the two clan leaders with narrowed eyes. "What's going on here? Is there going to be some sort of fight? Let me know so I can get the hell out of here," Sakura says, glancing between the two.

"No," Hashirama says, shaking his head almost immediately after she asked about a possible fight. "No, Skipper, we aren't here to fight. In fact, we are here to talk about our future."

Sakura's eyebrow quirks upward. "The future for the two of you?" Trying to calm her heavily beating heart she says, slowly, "Big marital plans in your future?" She jokes poorly.

Hashirama and Madara stare at her without understanding. Kind of like the rest of their party, except for, surprisingly, the Sasuke-look-alike Izuna. He snorts, hand flying to his face as his eyes widen. Sakura is pleasantly surprised to see a face so similar to Sasuke's filled with such mirth.

He clears his throat, embarrassed, when everyone else turned to look at him.

"Sorry," he says, rubbing the back of his head before rolling his shoulders back.

"I don't get it," Hashirama says, tilting his head to the side.

"She is suggesting that the two of you will go frolicking through the plains gayly together in holy matrimony," Tobirama says blandly and Sakura felt a shiver of laughter tug at her throat, but she managed to keep it under control. But the big smile on her face was difficult to fight against.

Hashirama gives Sakura the biggest pout ever. "Ahh, Skipper! Why do you have to go saying something like that?"

Madara frowns deeply, putting his hand on his forehead and turning away slightly. He lets out a long winded sigh, as if not knowing what to say, but he did cast a little glare her way. Sakura closes her eyes for a moment, unable to believe she had just said that, yet somehow felt that somehow Sakura Seto had something to do with it. It could be either her sense of humor, or her sense of friendship with the men that compelled her to tease them - but she's not sure.

Sakura forgot. She couldn't believe it. In the short time she had been bull shitting with them, she had completely forgot. But it all came back when a soft, little voice behind her called out to her.

"Mommy? Are they your friends?"

All the men froze. Hashirama's eyes blown wide while Madara's head snaps upward, single visible black eye also wide, all staring at Sakura seeing as she was the only one there who could be a mommy.

Sakura looks down as Manmaru steps to her side, staring right up at Madara. Two sets of pure black eyes lock on to one another and by the look on Madara's face. The way his eye widened even more, his jaw dropped and this horrible look pulled his eyebrows close together, Sakura knew in that moment without a shadow of a doubt that Madara had absolutely no idea about the cute little Uchiha boy Manmaru Seto.


	6. Summoned

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I am sorry about the wait! I absolutely adore hearing from all of you. This chapter was a little hard for me to right. I'm sure people aren't really going to like this chapter but this was the image, the scene that gave me the idea for the story. I had to stay true to the original idea. There is a legitimate reason that Sakura did what she did and while most of you may not agree, it will make a bit more sense later - hopefully. Anyway, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 4,933**

Manmaru stares up at Madara with innocent, wide black eyes. Madara has this look on his face, like he's staring at his own grave that's dated for today. His mouth closes for a moment before falling open once more, not able to really process what he's seeing in front of him.

He's not the only one, though. His brother, Izuna, is staring down at the little boy in much the same manner as his brother. Tobirama is frowning, red eyes flickering between Madara and his son, concentrating on something in his thoughts. Trying to decide on something. One of Hashirama's hands is brought up to his face, brown eyes wide. And the looks on the Uchiha and Senju with them was surprise, worry, and a lack of understanding.

Manmaru blinks one more time before the cutest smile spreads across his face and he bounces up and down, opening his arms wide toward Madara. "Daddy! Daddy, it's you!"

Madara, who seemed to already be loosing the strength in his legs and was sinking to the ground, finally dropped to a knee in front of the little boy, black eyes wide. Manmaru mistakes the action and runs into Madara's chest, wrapping little arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

For a strained, frightening moment, Sakura thought that Madara was going to rip Manmaru's arms out from around him and throw him away, but instead he slowly wraps his arms around Manmaru, pressing his mouth and chin into the little boy's shoulder. The way his head is angled his hair is pushed out of the way so that Sakura could see both of his eyes. They are wide, blinking slowly before he closes them tightly and hugs Manmaru to him.

"Hi, daddy," Manmaru says.

Madara pulls back a bit, as if he didn't believe the little boy was talking to him, only to see Manmaru staring into his eyes. He was the one that Manmaru was talking to. "Hi," Madara says softly, dark eyes scanning Manmaru's face, as if trying to engrave it into his memory. Manmaru smiles, bringing one of his hands back and touching Madara's cheek, as if doing the same and engraving the face of his father into his memory.

Manmaru turns to look up at Sakura, the biggest smile on his face. "Look, mommy, it's daddy!"

Sakura didn't know what to say. This is quite obvious the first time that Madara has ever seen Manmaru, yet somehow Manmaru was able to pick Madara out as his father. That didn't make any sense to her. Unless Madara was really good at acting, Sakura couldn't believe that he has seen Manmaru before and is still acting like this. It couldn't just be for show, she's sure.

"I see him," Sakura finally says, but stops there. She didn't know what else to say.

"A child?" Izuna says, looking like he couldn't believe what he's seeing. "He's a..."

"Seto," Sakura says, green eyes flickering over to the younger black haired man. "His name is Manmaru Seto. He's my son."

"And mine," Madara says, staring up at Sakura with a mixture of emotions on his face. "He's mine, isn't he? He said so."

"He's a child," Sakura says simply. "But yes. He's yours."

"Why?" Madara asks softly, voice cracking a bit, betraying how upset he really is by this entire situation, making Sakura feel bad. "Why didn't you tell me about him?"

To be honest, Sakura didn't know for sure. Without having all of Sakura Seto's memories, she couldn't accurately say why she didn't tell Madara - who was obviously the man she loved - that she was pregnant with his child. It didn't make a lot of sense to Sakura, but without really understanding Sakura Seto's side of the story, then she's not sure that she can really say one way or another.

"I don't know," Sakura says honestly, staring into Madara's eyes. "I don't remember."

Madara frowns a bit, probably recalling Sakura's admittance about not remembering a lot about her life. Thankfully, he can't blame her for not knowing right now, but it doesn't mean he can't be bitter about it. A part of him seemed like he wanted to push the issue, insist that she try hard to remember what she forgot, but she couldn't. The memories are coming back with time. There is little else that she can do other than wait.

Madara looks around unhappily, hugging Manmaru close again before the little boy pulls back and stares into Madara's eyes. "Daddy, are you done with your business? Mommy says we can only be together when you're done."

Madara frowns at that. "My business?" Then he realizes, dark eyes flickering over to Hashirama, obviously having forgot that he was there. Manmaru was a very efficient distraction.

Hashirama lowers down to his knees next to Madara and Manmaru, smiling kindly when Manmaru stares at him curiously. "Hello, Manmaru," Hashirama says softly, offering his hand for him to take. "My name is Hashirama Senju, I'm a..." a moment of hesitation before he continues, "I'm a friend of your father's."

Manmaru smiles shyly, reaching out and taking Hashirama's hand, giving it a little shake. He looks over at Sakura, blushing. "Mommy's friend, too?"

Sakura nods. "Yes."

Manmaru smiles at Hashirama, who smiles charmingly back, making Manmaru blush and lean his head against Madara's. It was a very mundane but adorable action where he would turn his head toward Madara, rubbing his nose into Madara's cheek in embarrassment. He would turn a bit to look over at Hashirama, see the man still staring at him, and smiling more, and the little boy would giggle and bury his nose into Madara's cheek again, his hand still in Hashirama's.

Sakura didn't know what to think, but she's happy to see that he's not throwing Manmaru away or anything, which is great. She's actually happy to see that he doesn't appear to be planning on letting Manmaru go any time soon. It makes Sakura's heart clench in happiness at the sight of it. While her thoughts on her own feelings toward Madara are confusing when in depth thought is applies, on the most basic of levels, she likes him. At least the him that she sees in Sakura Seto's memories and the way that he is with her son.

If nothing else in the world, that she can appreciate. And so for the next few minutes she just sits there and watches them together. Manmaru was blabbing on and on in fragmented sentences, so excited to see Madara that he barely finished one thought before moving on to the next one. Madara just patiently listened to the little boy talk, occasionally asking questions or making a noise of interest but otherwise remained silent.

"We should get going," Sakura says softly, holding her hand out for Manmaru to take. He looks at her for a moment, reluctantly, before reaching out and taking her hand and stepping away from Madara. "You guys came here for a reason, right? I am sorry for taking up much of your time."

"Wait," Madara says, standing up. "You don't have to go." He sends a glance down at Manmaru, who stares up at him innocently. He obviously wasn't ready to part ways.

"We do," Sakura says. She pulls Manmaru close. "We have a ways to go to get back to the inn and this little boy needs a bath before dinner and bedtime." She looks down at Manmaru and smiles a bit when he pouts up at her.

"But mommy, I want to stay with daddy," Manmaru says, giving her puppy dog eyes.

Sakura shakes her head. "No, Manmaru, you are coming back with me. Daddy still has some things that he has to do."

"Nothing so pressing," Madara says. A pause, then he spares a glance over at Hashirama, as if remembering again that the Senju were still here with them. He presses his lips together. "Or, perhaps..."

Hashirama holds up his hands. "It's alright, Skipper. We can go for today. It wasn't something that had to be discussed right now. There is always tomorrow."

Sakura felt torn for a moment, looking down at Manmaru who was still staring up at her, begging with his eyes to be able to spend more time with Madara. In a perfect world, Sakura would say fine and let Madara care for Manmaru for the night, or even stay with them or something and spend more time with them, but Sakura got this feeling in her gut, so strongly that she couldn't ignore it.

Now was not the time. Manmaru and Madara couldn't really be together just yet.

She didn't know how she knew it or why she felt that way but she did. All Sakura could hear was Madara whispering in her ear how much he hated his father. Hated the choices that he made - whether willingly or out of necessity - and then the overwhelming desire somehow a fusion of Sakkura's desire and that of who could only be Sakura Seto floods through her being as a new voice whispers into the shell of her ear.

"I hate father. Why does he have to be a monster?"

It was Manmaru's voice. Like a sick premonition of the future, he voice was clear as day and although it sounded older, there was something about it that just screamed it being Manmaru's voice. No, Sakura couldn't bare it. She wouldn't let Manmaru within a thousand leagues of the Uchiha and Senju clans in whole so long as they were in a war with one another. Madara may have turned out to be a good young man while still hating his father but Sakura feared that lightning wouldn't strike twice.

No. There was no way that Sakura was going to allow that to happen. Being an Uchiha ruined Sasuke's life, Obito's and Madara's life - at least in her timeline it did. It won't ruin Manmaru's. She's going to protect him, no matter what.

"I'm sorry," Sakura says, shaking her head. She rolls her shoulders and hardens her features. "Manmaru is coming with me. He cannot be with the Uchiha right now. Not during wartime. I'm sorry."

"What?" Madara asks, eyes widening in surprise.

"Are you kidding me?" Izuna asks, taking a step closer.

Sakura yanks Manmaru behind her, eyeing the other Uchiha boy wearily. Madara sees the mistrusting look on Sakura's face and pushes Izuna back a bit, giving him a warning look before holding his hands out for her to see as sign of surrender.

"Skipper," Hashirama says, drawing her attention to him, standing finally. "We won't attack the Uchiha camp, I promise. Manmaru will be safe there." Sakura glances over at him, locking eyes with the nature sage, and believes him. He has no plans of attacking anybody.

Tobirama watches the exchange with keen red eyes, not speaking as Sakura says, coldly, "No, the Senju are not the problem." Then, realizing how that sounded, quickly continues, "Nor is it technically the Uchiha either. I just can't have him be with the Uchiha now. Not while you are in war."

"There is no more fighting," Madara says, a desperate edge to his voice that Sakura is almost certain she imagined.

Sakura almost wants to give in. Admit that maybe she's being too overprotective, but she couldn't. Between her own bad feeling and Sakura Seto's tugging at the back of her mind, she couldn't give in, even if she felt that she was being perhaps too cruel. She had to make him understand. She wasn't doing this to hurt him. This wasn't revenge for what the Madara of her timeline did. It really wasn't.

"I'm not punishing you," Sakura says slowly, staring at Madara, who looks like she literally ripped his heart out of his body. Not so much on his face, but his eyes. The skin around his eyes were red and so is his chest, which is partially revealed by his loose kimono, proving that there was no plans for battle this day. Only the guards were armed, not the two sets of brothers.

But it was surprising how red Madara's chest was getting. It's obvious that he's upset but it's like he's containing it so deep inside that his body is physically reacting to his pain. Sakura feels like a huge ass hole.

But she can't back down. Not on this.

"I am not punishing you," She says again. "I will not allow it to happen. I will not let him hate you."

Madara blinks a few times. Even though Hashirama and Izuna look like they want to argue with her too, her words are obviously not what they expected. As much as she really hates herself right now, she's not keeping Manmaru away from Madara just because she thinks that Madara would be a bad father. It's the situation. In a war camp, Manmaru would be subjected to who knows what, and while she's sure the Uchiha as a whole are halfway decent people, anything could happen. Any number of incidences could lead to those horrible words leaving her son's lips. She simply could not take the change while they were in war.

As if somehow being in a village made it different.

But it did. It stopped being about ideas, and about the people. It was a them or us mentality when it comes to protection that made the situation just a touch better. Sakura would always have to worry about Manmaru falling prey to the Curse of Hatred, but she knew that she was going to need Madara's help to break him from it should it ever happen. Madara wouldn't be able to help her if he's the reason for Manmaru being cursed.

"You can't simply promise me that nothing is going to happen while he's with you. While I'm sure you'd be able to protect him, and would," she says slowly. "I don't want his first real impression of his father ordering people's deaths or killing them himself. My son shouldn't have to associate his father with killing and evilness. He should love you and your family because half of him is you," Sakura says. "He won't hate you for the decisions you make during wartime that you hated your father for."

Madara's lips part, probably to protest, but his jaw snaps shut at those words.

Perhaps it was because he is so pale, but Madara's chest is completely red now, along with the skin around his eyes. He's very upset and it's showing on his body. He keeps blinking rapidly to clear his eyes and looks around, trying to settle down. But he can't hide from Sakura, especially since she is right in front of him and having a front row seat to his silent self destruction by her hands - er words.

"I'm not like my father," Madara says softly, head tipping forward so that his bangs fall to cover one of his eyes. "I won't make the same mistakes."

"I believe you," Sakura says, and she's surprised that she does. "I'm not saying that you can't come see him at all. You can come and see him whenever you want. I won't stop you. I'm just saying that he can't be in that situation right now. I know you must think I'm unfair or being a bitch, but I simply can't. I'm sorry."

Sakura wasn't sure why he was in so much pain, but when he closed his eyes, he looked so utterly defeated. Like she just told him he would never see his son ever again. There is something very obviously going on. She's close enough to see Madara's eyelashes getting wet, physically so distraught that he can no longer contain it.

And it's scary.

Sakura couldn't explain it. She doesn't understand why he is acting this way or why Izuna's hands are gripping his shoulders trying to somehow make him feel better, or how Hashirama looks like he wants to say something more but isn't sure what that is, or even how Tobirama actually looks away, like he couldn't bear feeling Madara's pain, even if it was somehow second hand.

Something very weird was going on.

But Sakura couldn't dwell on it. She couldn't allow herself to. It may not be what Manmaru wants now, but what he needs. Sakura felt like the biggest bitch in the entire world, especially when Manmaru began to protest as she walked away, pulling the little boy along. He drags his feet, he doesn't want to go.

She turns around and picks him up, no longer able to look at Madara. She couldn't look at his chest reddening anymore. She couldn't look at the skin around his eyes reddening anymore. She couldn't look at his slightly trembling hands or shuttered breaths anymore. Sakura knew she had to just turn and walk away. Walk away from Sakura Seto's friends, lover, and the broken hearted father of her child.

"Mommy? Mommy, I want to be with daddy," Manmaru says. "Mommy? Why can't I be with daddy? Where are we going? Where are we going, mommy? Mommy," Manmaru calls out as Sakura scoops down to pick up the rest of their lunch and keeps going in one fluid motion, "why is daddy crying, mommy? Why are you crying?"

Sakura wasn't crying. Sakura Seto was.

Once she is far enough away that she dare look back, she is surprised - and perhaps not so surprised - to see Madara had sank to his knees with Hashirama at his side, arms wrapped around his friend's shoulders.

Sakura felt bad. She felt horrible. She felt dirty and nasty. She felt like she would fall through the earth at any moment and into hell. She felt like she had no other choice. The image of Manmaru, eyes red with the sharingan and whispering angry words flashes across her mind. She couldn't let that happen. She just couldn't.

Something is going to happen, she knows it. She just doesn't know what.

* * *

"Sakura!" Her mother calls out to her. "Sakura, honey! I need you!"

Sakura jumps to her feet and runs out of her room and into her mother's room. "Mom, what are you - " she cuts off, seeing a mess around the room. All the newly folded laundry was all strewn about. "Mom," Sakura says, eyes widening. "Mom, what is going on in here? What are you doing?"

Sakura's mother, a dainty woman with large, doe like eyes and stringy red hair. Her feet are dirty and her hair is a mess. She looks more like a teenager herself rather than a mother. It wasn't because she was a bad person but that she simply couldn't take care of herself. For as long as Sakura could remember, she's been caring for her mother. Ever since she was a small child she's done everything for her mom.

People used to say that her mother was... different. That she wasn't fit to have children. That she wasn't very smart and never really thought all that much. Sakura didn't really understand that as a child but as she grew older all she knew how to do was take care of her mom. It was just something that she got used to and no longer thinks about it.

"Mother," Sakura sighs, walking around the room, picking up the clothes.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," her mother says, pushing her messy red hair from her face. "I... I don't know why I did that." She runs her hand over her forehead, eyes squeezing shut for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Sakura pauses picking up the cloths to lean down and kiss the top of her mother's head. "It's alright, mom. It's alright."

"I did it again," She says, shaking her head a little more violently. "Um... um..." she squints her eyes, trying to vocalize her thoughts, but ultimately couldn't and gave up. Distracted by something else, perhaps.

Sakura wanted to lean down and hug her mother, comfort her, because she really wasn't mad and even though this was something that has happened many times before, Sakura didn't blame her mother. She didn't hate her mother or resent her. In fact, in some ways she feels that it makes her closer to her mom, always being by her side to make sure that she's okay.

But even though it was her mother and she wanted to hug her, Sakura knew she couldn't. Her mother wasn't very good with a lot of physical contact unless she initiates it.

Sakura's mother adapts this look on her face that Sakura recognized. Her mother looks around the room without a hint of outward recognition, fingers wiggling in her hair before she thinks of something - Sakura's not sure what - and starts to giggle at it before standing up and leaving the room. Sakura takes this time to clean up the room, not bothering to fold the laundry this time and just leaves it in a pile in the corner before heading back into her room to grab a haori to put over her shoulders before heading outside to catch her mother over by her flowerbed.

It was one of the few things she was gentle with. The flowers in front of their house that her father planted for her. Sakura's dad is a traveling merchant. He's often on the street for long periods of time - until about two years ago, when Sakura was ten - when he left and never came back. Sakura has no idea what ever happened to her father. Did he get killed on the road? Did he just leave them and never come back?

Sakura didn't know.

She didn't want to think that her father would just up and leave, but she didn't know what else to think. She didn't want to think that he went out onto the road to support them only to die somehow, alone. It just didn't seem fair. It just didn't seem like that was how it should have been.

But, alas, as the years passed she is starting to lose the image of her father's face in her mind. And she's starting to lose the hope that he will somehow, someday, come back to her and her mother.

"Sakura!" Her mom calls out to her, pulling her from her thoughts. Sakura's mom waves her hand around wildly without taking her eyes off of the flowers in front of her. "Come! Come here!"

Sakura walks over to her mother, kneeling down next to her to look at flower bed to see a new flower finally sprouting, blooming into the new spring.

"Beautiful!" Sakura says, green eyes like her mother's lighting up. "It looks wonderful, mom!"

Sakura's mother claps her hands excited, green eyes wide. "Yes! It's my favorite color. Um, the purple! The purple is my favorite color!"

Sakura nods, having known this. "Yeah," she leans close to her mother, relishing in the warmth she can feel radiating off of her. "It's a very pretty purple color. I like it too."

Sakura awoke the next morning with tears in her eyes. Little Manmaru sleeping peacefully next to her. She turns into the little boy and curls around him as much as she can, feeling Sakura Seto's pain. Sakura Seto missed her mother. Sakura was starting to miss her too.

* * *

It was about two weeks since Manmaru and Madara met. To Sakura's surprise, she hasn't seen any of them since. Every day Manmaru asks if he can go and see Madara and every day Sakura says that he's going to have to wait just a little bit longer. He would whine and cry, but Sakura couldn't tell him anything else. It was just going to take some time.

A part of her wondered if perhaps Madara hated her. She would understand if he did, but she couldn't understand why he wasn't there now trying to see his son. The same boy that he was so distraught over leaving isn't here right now. It was a little strange. She has to wonder what is going on. A part of her wonders if Madara simply couldn't find her, but then she knew that wasn't true. He would be able to find her and his son if he looked. He just isn't looking right now and there had to be a good reason why.

Sakura and Manmaru were sitting in their room. Sakura was reading from a scroll she got from the market while Manmaru was playing on their bed with Kuro when there is a knock at the door. Sakura blinks in confusion, looking up from the scroll for a moment before standing up, laying the scroll down next to Manmaru and walks over to the door slowly. They don't get guests.

She opens the door slowly, peaking out of the small crack to see armor. She opens the door a bit more, surprised to see - not Madara - but Tobirama standing there, staring at her.

"Sakura," he says, once she opens the door all the way.

"Tobirama-sama," Sakura says, surprised to see the future - would it really be the future since this is a different timeline it seems like? - Second Hokage standing in front of their door, "what is going on?"

"Can you come with me?" Tobirama asks, staring down at Sakura with narrow red eyes. "You and Manmaru."

Sakura's on edge. This is the Hokage - or would he be? - of her home village and a part of her wants to immediately trust him, but her instinct as a mother made her protect of her son, especially since he's being asked for.

"What's going on..?" Sakura asks slowly, not sure how smart it is to outwardly deny his request. "Has something happened?"

Tobirama shakes his head. "Nothing is wrong, if you are worried about that. Hashirama asked I retrieve you and Manmaru. We are signing the peace treaty with the Uchiha today and he wanted to surprise Madara by having you and Manmaru there. Will you accompany me?"

Sakura blinks in surprise. "You guys are signing the treaty today?" Tobirama nods. "That's great! Is that why Madara hasn't come to see Manmaru? He's been busy with..." she waves her hand around. "Well, whatever comes with preparing a clan to ending a war?"

Tobirama nods slowly. "I would assume. It's not as simple as just leaving camp to sign a treaty. A lot of preparation has to be made before hand on both sides to ensure it goes as smoothly, and fairly, for both sides as possible. I don't claim to know exactly what the Uchiha have been up these last few weeks but if I had to speculate, that would be it."

Sakura nods, more to herself than to the white haired man. "Okay. Give me a moment to get Manmaru ready and then we will come with you."

Tobirama tips his head a bit. "Good. I will wait outside the building. Come to me when you are finished and then we can go."

Sakura quickly closes the door and turns around to look at the adorable little black haired boy looking up at her curiously. "Who was that?" He asks.

"A friend," Sakura says, unable to contain her smile and excitement. "Are you ready to go see daddy?"

Manmaru's face lights up completely and he jumps to his feet. "Yeah! Let's go now!"

Sakura catches him on his way to the door. "Wait, jellybean, you need to change out of her pajamas first. The we will go."

So, they both quickly change, Sakura tries to brush Manmaru's wild black hair a bit but the little boy was just not having it, too impatient. He's definitely ready to see his dad. Sakura puts her cloak on and helps Manmaru crawl onto her back so that they can travel faster. She makes sure that she's got a good grip on him sot hat he won't fall off of her once she starts running, before leaving the room, locking the door and exiting the inn to find Tobirama waiting for them right outside the inn like he promised.

"Alright," Tobirama says, turning to face Sakura and the little boy on her back. "Let us get moving, then."


	7. Playtime

**Author's Note: I am so sorry for the wait! I just love hearing what you have to say! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 4,780**

Tobirama left them in the tree line and went to his brother's side as Hashirama and Madara spoke about their alliance. They go through all of the small, finer details to ensure that everything is crystal clear and that nothing can really be left up to interpretation. Sakura and Manmaru took to the nearest tree, sitting on one of the thick branches. Manmaru sat on her lap the entire time as they just watched, not wanting to pull any attention away from their forming alliance.

Every couple of minutes, when there is a pause in the scene before them, Manmaru would ask her if he could go to Madara, and she would have to tell him no. That he would have to wait until their discussion was done and the treaty is signed. As a little boy, Sakura can understand why he's so impatient. And at the same time, she's so happy that Manmaru is so happy to be around his father and judging by the way Madara is rushing to put this war to an end, that he wants to be able to be with Manmaru too.

Eventually, Manmaru falls asleep in Sakura's arms. Sakura expected it, and was kind of relieved to not longer have to be listen to his ask for the ten thousandth time if their meeting was over. No, Manmaru it was not over, Sakura would say every single time. She was certainly ready for it to be. It's really interesting to be able to see how the Hidden Leaf formed - er, well, maybe the Hidden Leaf, seeing as this is suppose to be an alternate timeline - or at least their own village. Sakura can't imagine it being anything other than Konoha, but, well, she can hope, can't she?

Sakura turns her attention toward the sky, admiring the clouds gently floating by and is immediately reminded of Shikamaru. She had to give the Nara credit, watching the clouds really did distract her, and even clear her mind of all of the thoughts whirling around in her head. About Madara. About Hashirama. About the Senju and the Uchiha. About the memories of Sakura Seto. About the life of Sakura Seto. The little boy, Manmaru Seto. About the reason she was brought here to begin with. What happened to the Sakura that lived here before. What happened in the three months time when she left Manmaru with Yuzu and when she - Sakura Haruno - woke up in Sakura Seto's stead. So many things, all slowly slip away once more as she stares up at the sky above.

Sakura looks down at the scene before her to see Hashirama wave his hand and the entire Senju side vanishes, heading back to their camp. Madara turns to leave when Hashirama calls out to him, whispering something to him for a moment. Madara eyes him suspiciously before nodding toward the Uchiha staring at him patiently, waiting for his orders, and then they too disappear leaving Tobirama, Izuna, Madara and Hashirama behind.

Figuring that was suppose to be the big reveal. Sakura shakes Manmaru's shoulder a bit until he wakes up. He looks around with bleary black eyes, adjusting where he's sleeping in his arms and begins to go back to sleep, but Sakura shakes his shoulder a bit harder.

"Manmaru," Sakura whispers in his ear, pulling him up her chest a bit, to help wake him up, "I think daddy is done with his meeting."

Manmaru immediately snaps into awareness, large eyes locking onto his father for a moment before looking over his shoulder at Sakura, a big, adorable smile nearly splitting his little face in two. "I wanna go see Daddy!"

"Okay," Sakura says, holding him tight and jumping down to the forest floor before Manmaru wiggles out of her arms.

Once his feet hits the ground, he's running toward Madara. Sakura follows behind easily, but at a slower pace so that she could watch the scene unfold before her. As soon as Manmaru breaks out of the treeline, he lets out a loud, jubilant, "Daddy!" Madara's head snaps in Manmaru's direction, his lips slightly parted probably from whatever he was saying to Hashirama, but it all dies on his lips. His eyes widen for a split second, before he's moving toward Manmaru, almost flying down the hill toward Manmaru, stopping only a few feet away to drop to his knees and open his arms.

Manmaru, giggly and excited, he leaps into Madara's arms, wrapping his legs around Madara's body and his arms around Madara's neck. "Daddy!" Madara holds onto him tightly, rocking side to side.

Sakura stops by the edge of the treeline, unable to help the small smile that crosses her lips. It is truly a beautiful scene. Madara's eyes are squeezed tightly closed and one of his hands is buried in the hair on the back of Manmaru's head, making sure to press him close. He looks like he's scared to let Manmaru go for fear of him slipping away from him forever.

Sakura's eyes flicker up toward the three other men slowly making their way over to them. Izuna's dark eyes are wide, in surprise while Hashirama looks happy and Tobirama's face is impassive.

Madara opens his eyes to stare at Sakura as she walks closer. "How..?" He asks softly.

Sakura smiles lightly, nodding past him. "You have a very good friend, Madara."

Madara turns around slightly, locking eyes with Hashirama, who's practically beaming happily, like he can feel Madara's happiness as if it were his own. Madara bows his head a bit, face obscured by his hair so Sakura can't see the expression on it.

"Thank you, brother," Madara says softly before letting Manmaru finally pull back.

"Hi daddy!" Manmaru says, dark eyes blown wide in excitement.

"Manmaru," Madara says softly, pulling back a bit so he can look at his son's face. He gently caresses his cheek for a moment. "How are you, my boy?"

"Good!" Manmaru says, grinning broadly up at Madara, crinkles surrounding large dark eyes. "I missed you, daddy!"

Madara nods slowly, using the pad of his thumb to lightly caress Manmaru's smooth cheek. "I missed you too, Manmaru. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to see you. I wanted to, but I needed to get my ducks in order."

"Ducks?" Manmaru echoes, black eyes wide. "You have ducks, daddy?"

Madara smiles. "No. I'm sorry." Manmaru doesn't look like he understands, which only makes Madara smile a little bit more and pats the little boy's shoulder a bit before his eyes finally flicker back up to Sakura. "Sakura."

"Hello," Sakura says politely.

"How are you?" Madara asks quietly, standing up and lifting Manamru into his arms, not ready to let go of him just yet. He settles the little boy on his forearm and turns toward Sakura.

"I'm good," Sakura says easily. "Manmaru has been anxious to see you again." She leans heavily on one hip, smiling back at Manmaru's happy grin sent her way. "Haven't you, buddy?"

Manmaru nods, wrapping his arms around Madara's neck to hug him again. "I love Daddy!" Madara bows his head so that his hair obscures his face and the pale pink tinged on his cheeks and the tiny smile that crosses it at the little boy's words. He takes a moment to clear his throat and calm down the heat of his face before raising his head again. Sakura felt the corners of her lips curl up slightly, but she forces herself to relax, she's not sure how the Uchiha Patriarch would take that. The last thing she'd want to do is offend him.

So she just sits back quietly as Manmaru, cute as a button, just blabs on and on about all sorts of little things, this time now letting go of Madara at all, as if afraid that Sakura will take him away again. Luckily for the two of them, Sakura doesn't plan on separating them today. It's a day of celebration, after all. It's time for everyone to be happy. She's not going to be the one to ruin any of them.

"Thank you for coming, Skipper," Hashirama says, stepping next to Sakura.

She looks up at him. "Don't mention it. Thank you for inviting us. Manmaru has been dying to see Madara again."

"I'm sure it's the same for Madara," Hashirama says, smiling affectionately at his best friend and the little, blabbering boy in his arms. "Madara was so broken up after you left, I knew that he was going to work his ass off to get this war wrapped up so that he could see Manmaru again."

"I wasn't keeping him away from Madara," Sakura says quickly. "He could come see him whenever he wanted. Didn't I say that?"

Hashirama shakes his head. "No, you did say that. What I mean, is that Madara doesn't do things half way. While your words were hurtful, they did appear to hit home with him. Madara would never want to be in a position where he would have to make a decision he would never be able to look into his son's eyes afterward. It would ruin him. It was very hurtful, but he kept saying that you were right. He could understand that you weren't trying to hurt him, and in fact help him, but it didn't mean that he wasn't hurt by it."

Sakura pulls at her hood a bit, keeping it up to shield her eyes from the sun. "I didn't mean to hurt him," Sakura says, shaking her head. "I know my words were hurtful, but I didn't intent for it to be that way. Manmaru is my son, I have to do what's best for him. I know he wants to be with Madara - because that's his dad! I understand that! - but I just can't in good conscious leave him with Madara when he was in war with another clan where anything could happen." A slight pause, then, "Not that you would do anything..."

Hashirama holds his hand up to stop her. "I get it," he says, and in some way, Sakura almost believes him. "He's your child. You are Manmaru's first and last line of defense, especially since he's so young. I don't blame you and neither does Madara. In this cruel world it's smart to not just blindly trust someone." Hashirama's words are smooth and equal. Sakura's not sure if he's actually not mad or if he was just saying that. Madara is his best friend after all. As... weird as their relationship is.

"I... honestly didn't expect him to react the way he did," Sakura admits quietly, turning her green eyes back to her son who was still blabbing away, occasionally pushing Madara's fringe out of his eyes so that he could look into them easier. Every time the little boy does this, the corners of Madara's mouth tilt up a bit, as if amused by the action.

"To be honest," Hashirama says softly, "I didn't either. It was such a strong reaction. I wasn't expecting it too."

Sakura looks up at him. "Why did that happen?"

Hashirama shakes his head. "I don't know," he says honestly. "I knew that Madara really loved kids, I guess the thought of having his own and then having them taken away from him so suddenly drew such a strong reaction from him."

Sakura doesn't respond. It was news to her that Madara liked kids. She probably should have suspected it, based on his reaction, but it's kind of an odd thing to think. She knows that this Madara isn't like the one of her time, but to imagine that he liked kids... it was a little weird. That he would be so kind and gentle with kids. But with Manmaru in his arms at this very moment, he was both of those things, and very fatherly that at least with the Madara of this timeline, she can believe that, she supposes.

"Manmaru?" Sakura calls out after a long silence.

The little boy pauses mid sentence to look over at Sakura with big black eyes. "Mommy?" He pouts. "Do we have to leave now?"

Sakura shakes her head. "No, baby. I was actually thinking that you could show daddy some of the cool abilities you picked up. What do you think?" Manmaru looks confused by her words. "Like your hand signs and meditation. Do you want to show him?"

Manmaru's entire face lights up and he whips his head around to look at Madara. "Oh! Come see, Daddy!"

Madara lays Manmaru down and gives him a little bit of room, going down on one knee so that he can still be near eye level with the little boy. Manmaru goes through the basic handsigns that Sakura taught him, saying their names aloud to show Madara that he really knew them. Sometimes he would mess up the name or the handsign, pause a few seconds later, and then correct himself. Madara obviously already knew all of those handsigns, but still smiled faintly when the boy reached the end and grinned broadly up at him.

"How was that, Daddy?" Manmaru asks, reaching out and pushing Madara's hair out of his face.

"Very good, Manmaru. I am very proud of you," Madara says softly. Manmaru beams proudly, clapping his hands excited. "Oh," Madara says, looking over his shoulder at his little brother, who was watching quietly a few feet away with a faint smile on his face. "Manmaru, I want you to meet someone. My little brother, Izuna."

Izuna blinks a few times, as if he was lost in thought before stepping closer and kneeling down to be eye level with the little boy too. "Hello, Manmaru. I'm Izuna."

Manmaru smiles shyly at Izuna. He waves his hand a bit in greeting, a cute little blush across his cheeks. "Hi." Manmaru looks over at Sakura. "What does that make him, Mommy?"

"He's your uncle," Sakura says. "So, he would be Uncle Izuna to you." Manmaru doesn't look like he really understands. "Just call him Uncle Izuna, okay, Manmaru? Just like I'm Mommy and daddy is Daddy."

Manmaru nods slowly, doing an adorable motion of tapping his chin in thought before he nods, smiling brightly. "Okay!" He looks over at Izuna. "Do you want to see the signs?"

Izuna blinks. "Oh, yeah. Sure, buddy."

Excited again, Manmaru goes through the handsigns once more, saying their names aloud again. "Tiger, dragon, no dog, silly Manmaru," the little boys says, making Sakura and Izuna bust out laughing suddenly. Manmaru looks around confused. "What?"

"Sorry, baby," Sakura says. "Keep going." Manmaru stares at her for a few moments before turning back to what he was doing, blinking a few times, having lost his place, before he just starts over again from the beginning.

Sakura's not sure if they had anything important that they were suppose to do that day - they being Madara, Hashirama, Izuna and Tobirama - but they stayed the whole day with Sakura and Manmaru. She can understand Izuna and Madara because they're family, and from what she can understand about Hashirama, maybe it does make a bit of sense. He's very... nosy, but also very friendly. Tobirama might just be there because Hashirama is there and doesn't want to run the risk of leaving him alone, should something happen.

Okay, well, maybe Sakura has this figured out. Maybe it's not as complex as she's trying to think that it is. Or, maybe, there is more to it that she's just not seeing yet.

She told them about the amnesia, which wasn't an actual lie, and she knows that the memories are slowly coming to her, but she really wished that she would fall into a coma for three days and then wake up knowing everything. Well, everything that she needs to know. No, _everything_ in general works too, but she's settle with everything she needs to know. Thankfully there hasn't been too many guessing games, just a few, but there is a big question that is hovering over her, and has been since she showed up here.

What happened to Sakura Seto?

It's obvious that she knew something was going to happen. She left her son with Yuzu, knowing that wherever she was going or whatever she was going to do, she was not going to want to take Manmaru with her. It would be too dangerous. He needed to be somewhere safe.

And yet she still can't wrap her mind around why that wouldn't be with the boy's father.

Sakura has a bit of a suspicion that it had something to do with the war. She really didn't want him to be with Madara simply because he was in war and had to make decisions she didn't think Manmaru would ever forgive his father for if he saw it happening. Maybe time and having Madara talk to him about it himself will somehow help Manmaru understand - and ultimately not blame - his father and his actions.

She can hope so, at least.

Perhaps that is what Sakura Seto was hoping for, but without all of her memories, or at least the ones pertaining to these moments, she won't know for certain.

* * *

"Thank you for staying so long," Madara says quietly, looking over Sakura's shoulder to see Manmaru chasing Izuna around, giggling loudly whenever Izuna slows down enough for the little boy to get close, only to side-step him and move away again.

Sakura gives him a little nod, tossing her kunai up into the air before catching it. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

Madara watches as she tosses the kunai up again. His eyes slide over to her own. "I know. I just... really wanted to see him. Get all of this," he waves his hand around ambiguously before letting it drop onto his lap again, "over with so that there wouldn't be any more distractions."

Sakura nods slowly. "I appreciate it. Manmaru was really looking forward to seeing you again." She looks past Madara to see Hashirama and Tobirama are standing over by the river that they moved closer to toward the forest a few hours ago, talking about it's direction and where it's going. If Sakura had to guess, it probably has something to do with the village that they are going to want to start building. And the river they are talking about, it will actually flow right through what will one day be Konoha.

Sakura smiles a bit before returning her eyes to Madara.

The Uchiha patriarch ducks his head down a bit to try and hide his tiny, happy smile. "I see..."

Sakura sends a side-ways glance over her shoulder to watch Manmaru run around, laughing breathlessly as he chases Izuna around before turning back toward Madara. "Unfortunately, I think he's traded you in for a younger, more spry version."

Madara rolls his eyes, looking completely un-amused by her words. She offers him a little, cheeky smile before she hears, over her shoulder.

"Hey Mommy?"

"Yes, Manmaru?" She asks, tossing the kunai back up into the air.

"Who's that?"

She blinks. "Who's...?" Her eyes widen. She is up on her feet in a moment, seeing Tobirama and Hashirama already completely turned around, and Madara already moving to his feet too. Sakura doesn't even wait to try and catch the kunai she tossed up into the air, all of the adrenaline is pumping through her as she breaks into a full on sprint toward Manmaru, who was half turned toward the forest, staring at someone out of her line of sight. Izuna was closer, and also moving toward Manmaru, but somehow, the adrenaline made Sakura move faster than she ever had before and made her reach Manmaru before he did.

She wraps her arms around him, swinging him around her so swiftly his legs kick out right as she uses his weight to build up momentum as her own leg shoots out and connects with the stomach of a puppet man lunging out to attack him. The kick is a bit sloppy and only sends him into the nearest tree, but its enough time for Sakura to really scoop Manmaru into her arms and run toward the four charging men. All armed and ready to fight. In Izuna's eyes is the sharingan, but in Madara's, is the Mangekyo, blazing with rage.

Sakura wasn't about running and hiding while someone else protects her, but her motherly instincts are on overdrive. She didn't care about the guys fighting off the puppets to keep them off her back, because she was using it to defend her child. There was no way in the world she was going to let whoever it is that was controlling those damn puppets from getting to her or her child. She's not going to let them put her son's life in danger because of her. She will sooner rip this world apart than let them hurt Manmaru.

There is crying in her ear - it's Manmaru, he's scared and confused - and she uses it to keep herself moving. She has to get Manmaru somewhere safe. She can hear fighting behind her, she waits until she's close to the river. She finally puts Manmaru onto the ground and removes her cloak, throwing it over his head to protect him. She drops a kunai down at his feet, having given him a few lessons on how to use it, and hope that he won't have to before turning around, ready to fight anyone and anything that makes it past the four men in front of her.

When she turned around, Sakura wasn't sure what she was expecting. She knew there was fighting, and she figured there was a lot of it, but she also knew that she was working with four of the most powerful shinobi of this time. These puppet men were hardly a match for her, she didn't think they would be anything for these four men. And while she's right. She wasn't prepared for what she saw.

There wasn't ten, twenty, thirty or even forty. There had to be hundreds of them running through the forest at them. It wasn't so much that they were powerful, merely that their numbers were overwhelming.

Sakura hesitates. A tenseness within her whole body that she could acutely feel. She knew that they didn't really need any help, they weren't being hurt by these puppets, but there was a lot of them and Sakura wasn't sure of their stamina when it came to continuous battle and if there was hundreds more of them or not. She didn't know, but was she just going to leave them there to deal with it themselves? She didn't know.

It didn't feel right. She knew that she had to help them, whether they needed it or not was circumstantial and perception based, but she also knew that she couldn't leave Manmaru alone. Unlike Madara, Izuna, Tobirama and Hashirama, Manmaru was completely at their mercy and looked to Sakura to protect him. She can't leave him alone to defend himself.

So she stayed back, poised and ready to fight should she need to, but it seems her son's father, his little brother and his one time enemies had this handled. She was weary, but they kept true to their legendary status. They were wiping the floor with those puppets as if they were nothing. Sakura shouldn't be surprised, since she didn't have too much of a problem, but it's still kind of amazing to see them spinning around, both Uchiha brothers in their dark blue battle robes - a sword for Izuna and a familiar gunbai fan for Madara - and the two Senju brothers were decked out in their signature red and blue armor, swords in their hands. Tobirama's the infamous Raijin.

Sakura spares a moment, seeing as none of the puppets have yet to make it past either set of brothers, to look over her shoulder at Manmaru. She's under her cloak, treating it like a blanket, completely covered by it. The kunai, though, is gone. He's just a little blob in the center of the cloak puddle, shivering and hunched over. Sakura just wants to wrap her arms around him and make him feel safe again.

She looks back over to see that the two sets of brothers are fighting off the last of the puppets. She decides that they have it handled so she turns around. She walks around the small Manmaru shaped bulge grabbing the edge of her cloak and pulling it up so that it's on the opposite side to where the fighting is, Sakura can keep an eye on it, but so that he doesn't have to see it. Manmaru turns around, clutching the kunai tightly between both of his little hands. His large black eyes were all watery as he cries quietly.

When his eyes lock onto to Sakura's, he launches into her arms, tossing the kunai aside without the slightest care. He didn't want anything else other than her. Sakura catches him easily and holds onto him tightly. She grabs her cloak and pulls it up over his head to keep him hidden. She can feel his hot breath and tears on her neck as he cries quietly, every loud noise, he flinches. Sakura starts to rock back and forth slowly, cooing into his ear, trying to calm him down. She can feel him shaking and knows that he's afraid.

Sakura watches as Tobirama slices the head off of the last puppet before it all falls silent. Until there is only the gentle crying of the little boy in Sakura's arms is the only sound. Madara looks over his shoulder, at them, and heads right for them. Sakura watches as he gets closer until he's knelt down next to them. He slowly puts his hand on the back of Manmaru's head. The little boy flinches before looking over at him, blinking impossibly long, wet lashes until he registers Madara's face. He reaches forward and puts his other hand on Madara's neck, crying again.

Madara leans forward, putting his forehead against Manmaru's. He didn't say anything, just stared at the face of the whimpering boy, quietly, as if trying to think of a way to make him feel bwtter but not knowing what. The pink haired girl didn't either. She wanted to, but just didn't know how other than to hold him.

Sakura didn't say anything, she didn't feel like she needed to. On one hand Madara's actions are kind of strange. It is such a soft, gentle action that seems like it is misplaced for his character, but this is his son. While Sakura didn't mean for this to be some kind lesson or to somehow reenforce her words about Manmaru and his reaction to seeing his father responsible for ending peoples lives or ordering the death of someone.

But somehow this feels like reenforcement for what she said. But thankfully, Manmaru doesn't appear to be afraid of Madara - which is good - just afraid in general - which is not good. Sakura wished there was something that she could do, he was her son, she should be able to protect him, but she also knew it comes with the lifestyle. Even if Sakura didn't want Manmaru to be a shinobi because of who his father is and whatever is currently going on with Sakura, he has no choice in the matter.

She just has to protect him for as long as she can and hope that he is strong enough to protect himself when the time comes that he needs to.


	8. Forward

**Author's Note: I am so super sorry about the wait! I promise that I have not forgotten about any of these stories, my interest has just shifted from them for a little while. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned these stories, I promise. Just give me a bit of time! x.x I just love hearing all that you have to say! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 5,013**

Sakura rocks back and forth slowly, pressing Manmaru's little face into her shoulder as he cries quietly. His entire little body is shaking, his grip on her shoulder, hair and waist, with his little legs, are iron clad. She's not going to separate from him, even if she wanted to, but she doubted she'd have been able to. His grip on her is very tight. He won't easily let her go anywhere.

Sakura stands up slowly, keeping the little monkey safe in her arms. She walks around in slow, careful circles, keeping her eyes on the open field around them, making sure that no one can sneak up on her again. No one was going to get her son. No one. They were going to have to go through her first. Manmaru still has Sakura's cloak around her, leaving her in short red kimono and black shorts with a black belt around her stomach and ribs, pale pink elbow and knee warmers and black sandals and gloves.

"Mommy," Manmaru whines. "I'm scared."

"Don't be scared, Manmaru," Sakura whispers, kissing his wild black hair. "Mommy isn't going to let anyone hurt you. I promise."

"What if they come back?" He pulls back from Sakura to look at her with glittering, watery black eyes.

Sakura narrows her eyes a bit, staring back into his eyes. She lowers onto her knees and sets him onto his feet in front of her and slowly runs the rough pads of her fingers across the smooth skin of his cheeks, wiping away his tears. "Everyone's eyes, but especially the eyes of your father's family, is important, baby. Don't hinder their sight with tears, especially when you don't have to be afraid."

Manmaru sniffles loudly, blinking impossibly long, thick lashes speckled with tears quickly. "I'm sorry."

"Tears are not a sign of weakness," Sakura says sternly. "Don't let any stupid man tell you otherwise." She doesn't care that four very traditionally raised men happen to be behind her. This was her son, she was going to raise him right. "Crying doesn't mean you are weak, crying shows that you are more than just a tool or a blank mask. You are a real, live person with thoughts and emotions. It shows that you are a real man." Sakura reaches forward and pushes his messy, sweaty black hair from his eyes. "Save your tears for things that matter."

"Like Daddy?" Manmaru asks, dark eyes rising to look over Sakura shoulder to Madara staring down at him.

"Yes!" Sakura says, eyes widening. "Remember when we left Daddy a few days ago? How he looked? As painful as the moment was, I bet in the very back of his mind, he felt better after letting it out. Something tells me, daddy hasn't cried in a long time. But he did, because he loved you and wanted to be with you." Sakura had to wonder how right she was about her blatant assumption - but in regards to all of them. They were all raised to be manly men, after all, in a time that promotes strong, fierce men.

Manmaru's eyes flicker between Sakura and Madara, trying to get a read on both of them.

Madara nods, lowering down next to Sakura. "Your mother is right, Manmaru. I was always taught by my father that crying was wrong, especially for a young man." His eyebrows pull together tightly. "My own mother tried to teach me what yours is now, my boy. I would like to believe that I am more open minded, than my father was, but I let his opinion of me overrule what I wanted. Maybe your mother will have a better chance at helping you than mine was. You're smarter than I am, my boy. Listen to your heart."

With that - surprising! - parting wisdom, Madara backs off. She heard, faintly, Madara mutter to Izuna behind her, "I sounded just like Hashirama. Fuck."

In the corner of her eye, Sakura sees Hashirama smile, probably having heard the same thing and was pleased by it.

Manmaru sniffles loudly, pressing his face tightly against Sakura's shoulder, probably thinking about what his father has said to him. He's still shaken, worried about things a little boy like him shouldn't have to worry about. Sakura scoops him up and carries him around again, trying to keep him from crying again. This lesson may not strike a cord with him yet, but hopefully when he is older, it will.

Sakura is not sure how much of what Madara said was what he actually believed in, but she was so happy that he was on her side with that. Manmaru really needed his father, whom he is already so attached to, to tell him that it was okay. Even if Madara wasn't really the kind of person who believed that, or would really follow through with crying if he could help it, still opening that door of understanding with his son is an unbelievable step she didn't know that they would need.

Understanding was probably the last thing that Madara and his father had. Sakura won't claim to know or understand - having had an amazing dad that she adored - but she hopes that this is the thing that leads them down the right path. Whatever that may be.

Her green eyes lock on to Hashirama, who opens his mouth to say something but Sakura shakes her head. Not yet. They need to talk about what had happened before their heart to heart but not yet. Not while Manmaru was awake and so shaken. They will be able to talk once his evening out breath stops wavering.

Once he is fast asleep, they will be able to talk about what just happened. Slowly, but surely, Manmaru falls asleep. Sakura drops her cloak onto the grass and lays Manmaru down on it. She steps around so that the four men are on one side and she's on the other, creating a sort of protective barrier around the little boy sleeping on the ground. Sakura wants to hold Manmaru forever but his sweaty little body is starting to make her own sticky as well. Now that they are separated, she can feel the cooling air of the drawing night settling around them. Sakura digs around in her backpack to pull out a little blanket and settles it over the little boy to try and prevent him from being hit with the night chill.

"Who was that?" Hashirama asks after a good two minutes of silence since she put Manmaru down to sleep. "Those puppets... they were as Tobirama. What do they want?"

Sakura shakes her head, reaching out and pet the little boy's sweaty black hair back away from his eyes. "I don't know. I think the puppet master might have something to do with my loss of memory. But what? I don't know." Sakura stands up, crossing her arms over her chest. She shakes her head, looking down at Manmaru with a deep frown on her lips. "I thought that they were after me when I first came across them after I woke up, but what if that wasn't the case at all?"

"You think they are after Manmaru?" Izuna asks, his voice dangerously. Madara's half turned away, his arms crossed over his chest and his chin pointed down toward the grass. His shoulders are pulled tight and jerk at Izuna's words. Sakura can feel the KI coming off of him in physical waves. Tobirama glances over at him wearily for a moment while Hashirama looks alarmed.

"Why? What could they want from Manmaru? He's practically a baby," Hashirama's voice is taut with distress. Just the thought of Manmaru's life is probably being targeted is enough to make his blood pressure go through the roof.

"He's not just any baby," Tobirama says, looking sideways at his brother, still appearing to be weary of the dark aura emanating from Madara.

"He's _mine,_ " Madara snarls, lips turned in an angry sneer. His sharingan is gone but in the fading light his eyes are glittering. His rage flickering red in those pure black depths.

"Clan children are so rarely found away from their families," Hashirama says slowly. "I suppose if Manmaru is the target, that would make sense."

"Not only is he of Uchiha blood," Izuna says, crossing his arms over his chest, "but he's aniki's blood."

"Madara is a very dangerous shinobi," Tobirama says, widening his stance a bit to look between all of them, even Sakura. "With Madara as the sire, Manmaru could be the receiver of a very powerful slew of skills and traits."

Sakura looks at him. "What do you mean by that? I understand that with Madara being his father it's inevitable that Manmaru would get the Sharingan." That left a sour taste in her mouth, especially knowing what an Uchiha has to go through in order to get their legendary eye doujutsu. "But you make it seem like there is more to it."

"Madara's fire is the only fire I've come across that could burn my woodstyle," Hashirama says, a touch of pride in his voice. It seemed more geared toward his pride in his friend's ability to be able to fight off his chakra nature rather than his strong nature itself. Somehow, Sakura is not surprised. His incredible abilities mean little to him, but Sakura bets he could gloat about Madara all day long if given the opportunity. That was just the type of person he is, it seems.

"If I get mad enough," Madara amends. "And that has only happened once."

"Once is enough, Madara," Hashirama says sagely. "It shows that you have the capacity for it."

Madara glares at him. Hashirama's words are starting to lighten his mood a bit, but he doesn't seem ready for that just yet. He wants to seethe in his anger for a little while longer.

"I'm going to take Manmaru home," Sakura says after a long silence. All four sets of eyes - two black, one red and one brown - all turn toward her as the owners all speak up at once.

Tobirama holds up his hand to immediately silence the din, casting a quick look down at the stirring child between them before saying, calmly, "That is unwise."

Sakura knew that. She knew that it wasn't a good decision to just take Manmaru and head back to their little inn without any real protection around them. She was just one person and while naturally she was a light sleeper and could go days without adequate sleep, she knew that wouldn't last forever. It's one thing if whomever the puppet master that's targeting them is after her, but if they are actually after Manmaru, that makes this entire thing different. Sakura can protect herself, live on the road on the run for as long as she needs to.

It's different when Manmaru is involved.

Sakura can't just think about herself. She has to protect Manmaru. He was becoming so unbelievably important to her. She knew that obviously Sakura Seto loved him, but Sakura was starting to love him more than she thought she would. It's becoming more and more overwhelming. Sakura grew up without any siblings. As an only child, she never really had to concern herself with others, and being so shy as a little girl didn't help. Under Tsunade's careful - er, brutal - hand, Sakura learned how to properly care for others.

But this is different than taking care of a patient. Manmaru doesn't just look to her to keep himself healthy, but for everything. Especially since he's so young and can't care for himself. Sakura is the one person in the world who would never do anything to hurt him. Well, and maybe Madara too now, but the point is that Sakura doesn't have anyone other than Manmaru. Madara still has a clan that he has to think about too.

"I know," Sakura says, kneeling down to lightly run her fingers through his dirty, drying hair. "But there isn't anywhere else to go. Judging by how weak those puppets are, there is a very good chance that the person controlling them is very far away, but powerful."

"What do you know about puppetry?" Izuna asks, eyebrows pulled together. The other three men turn to look at her as well, intrigued by her knowledge.

"I've met a few before puppeteers," Sakura says illusively. "But what I've come to learn about them is that controlling multiple puppets takes a great degree of mastery and many years of training. But the larger the number of puppets the slightly less control that they have over each individually. They work well in a swarming tactic, but makes precise actions via mass next to impossible."

"Logical," Madara says, eyeing her suspiciously. "So what are you trying to say?"

Sakura stands back up, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning heavily on one hip. She notices all of them follow her body movements before quickly snapping their eyes back up to her own.

Sakura steps around Manmaru and picks up a large branch before walking over to a patch of dirt big enough for what she needs it for. "Okay, let's see if I can articulate this well enough." The men gather around, using the moonlight to help them all see. Sakura draws an 'x' in the center before drawing a crude shape of the Land of Fire around it. "Alright, so this is the Land of Fire, and this 'x' is the puppeteer."

"Alright," Hashirama says, leaning back so that the moon can shine over his shoulder.

"Now, most of this is only from what I know about puppet users and my own speculation, so bare with me," Sakura continues before drawing lines away from the 'x' like a radiance. "So, if this is an extraordinarily powerful puppeteer, then lets say he's using a massive amount of puppets in a wide spread area to try and locate Manmaru, if he truly is the one that they are after. These puppets aren't meant to be able to kill the people they come across, but somehow act as a sensing system of some sort."

"I have never heard of that," Izuna says. "The most impressive sensor I have ever encountered is Tobirama, and not even he can sense through other objects." The red eyes of the future Second Hokage land on the younger Uchiha brother, curiously, as if contemplating his words.

"True," Sakura admits, "but it's not impossible." She shifts her weight a bit on her hips, tapping the stick against the dirt for a moment before standing up, hearing her knees creak.

"So, maybe he's less of a puppeteer and more of a sensor who uses puppets in order to expand his senses," Tobirama says, finally pulling his eyes away from Izuna.

Sakura's eyebrows rise at that. "I know I was the one who said it wasn't impossible, but I honestly can't think of a way to explain how it is possible."

"Ultimately," Madara says, flatly, "it doesn't matter how they do it yet, simply that if they are, they know where he is now." His words are flat and emotionless, but there is an angry snarl on his face, dark eyes scanning the dark forest around them.

Sakura looks over at Manmaru, walking over to him and picking him up slowly. He squirms and groans at the movement but drapes his arms over her shoulders and buries his little face in the crook of her neck. Thankfully, he stays asleep. Sakura kind of wanted to give him a bath before bed, especially since he's been running around working up a real sweat during the day, but tomorrow will have to do.

"We will be okay," Sakura says, rocking back and forth a bit, making sure that the little boy in her arms doesn't wake up fully. She bends over and picks up her cloak and puts it around him again to keep the growing chill out.

"Sakura," Madara says, turning completely to her, eyebrows pulled together, "please. Come and stay with Izuna and I. You and Manmaru."

Sakura stares at him, for some reason surprised that he would ask. She understood why he asked. Manmaru was his son and was worried for his safety and health, so it makes sense why he would want them there. But it just wasn't something she could have pictured Madara saying. Given, she didn't really know this Madara super well, but the Madara from her time... well, it was impossible for her to imagine him ever opening his home up to anyone. At least in her opinion. She could have been wrong, though.

"I... don't know..." Sakura says softly. She looks down at Manmaru's sleeping face, his large set of lashes like two butterfly wings on his eyes. Sakura could just look at them for hours without getting bored.

Madara steps closer, reaching out to tip her chin up so that she would look at him instead of the little boy who practically got all of his features. Madara's face has smoothed out a little bit with only a tiny crease between his eyes remaining. "Sakura, I have spent the better part of the last five years being a huge disappointment to you and Manmaru. Let me start making up for that."

Sakura didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't sure that she thought he was a disappointment. Truly, she likes this Madara so much more than the one of her own timeline, but looking into his eyes, she can see he meant it. He didn't think that he has been anything more than a shame of a man since the moment that he got Sakura Seto pregnant and wasn't there for her. He didn't know he was a father and met his son by accident for the first time after five years. A little boy who looks just like him and is already completely crazy about him.

Manmaru is impossible not to love, though, as Sakura has come to learn. She is also someone who was won over by the adorable little boy so quickly after meeting him.

But the scumbag that Sakura daresay loathed during the Fourth Great Ninja War, is the type of honorable man who will own up to a child he helped make, and Sakura wasn't expecting that. He wanted to know, and protect, the child he helped bring into this world. It just surprised Sakura, especially since Sakura Seto and Madara were never married, and had sex as stupid children.

Sakura Haruno can talk about safe sex until she's blue to the face, the fact that she was brought into a lifetime where the her represented in this timeline doesn't follow that same thing is a little strange. Sakura loved Sasuke since she was a little girl and always imagined that he would be her husband one day and the father of her children, but she never imagined them being together until after they were married. Even before Sakura got a bit more of a traditionalist view beaten into her by Tsunade, she always imagined having children while married. Not before.

"You aren't a disappointment," Sakura finally says, looking up into Madara's eyes. "I was surprised when it happened, but if you hadn't cried that day, when you and Manmaru first met, I think my view of you would have been so different than it is now. Regardless of what I feel, you are Manmaru's father and if this person is as powerful as I'm starting to think they are, Manmaru is most safe with you and your family."

Madara's eyebrows pull together. He looks down into her eyes so deeply, Sakura can't move. There is something about his eyes that keep her in place. It wasn't fear, or anger of any sort. it's something else. Something that she doesn't know how to explain. Sasuke was able to pin her in her place with that same look. Maybe it's an Uchiha thing. Their eyes are so powerful, being able to see one's reflection in them is one of the greatest forms of flattery. Their eyes mean so much to them to be in the center of them is unlike anything.

"What are you saying?" Madara asks.

Sakura's eyebrows twitch. "Manmaru can stay with you and Izuna. That's what I'm saying."

"Good," Madara says, finally pulling his hand back from her chin and the warmth she didn't realize it provided goes with. "But remember, you and he are a two for one deal. As my son's mother, you must be with him."

Sakura feels her lips twitch too. "Of course, I'll be there. I won't leave him."

Madara smiles faintly, as if pleased. "Good. Just the way you were speaking sounded like you weren't going to come with. I just wanted to be sure."

"I don't belong with the Uchiha," Sakura says easily, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "But Manmaru does. Or, at least, he has the right to know you, as the other half of him."

Madara stares at her with a hard look on his face, like he wants to say something, but he's not sure how to put it into words. Whatever he's warring with trying to say, he loses, and leaves it as it is. "Very good. What do you need from wherever you are staying?"

"It'll be faster if I grab it," Sakura says.

"Not alone," Hashirama cuts in. "Someone should go with you."

"I'll be fine," Sakura says, stepping closer to Madara again to hand Manmaru to him. "Protect Manmaru. I will be right back. Do not leave from this spot. I shouldn't be more than an hour."

Madara takes him easily, but looks weary about holding a sleeping child. Madara looks down at his son for a moment before passing him over to Izuna, who looks ten times more uneasy about holding a sleeping child than Madara did. "I will go with you."

"Manmaru-" Sakura starts.

"Will be fine," Hashirama says. "Tobirama and I will stay with Izuna and Manmaru until the two of you return. It won't hurt to have two extra sets of eyes keeping watch."

Sakura hesitates for a moment before leaning over Manmaru and kisses his hair before turning to Madara. "Then lets just hurry."

* * *

They make it to Tanzaku Town in record time. Madara follows Sakura as she makes her way through the deserted streets towards the inn that she and Manmaru had made their home for the past few weeks. She deactivates the warning seals immediately and begins packing up all of their things around the room and into the bathroom, doing a clean sweep.

She grabs everything, piling it away in storage seals, while Madara just stands in the doorway, looking around as if lost. He closes the door to get some privacy before walking over to the window and keep an eye out for any one suspiciously out on the streets rather than just the guards. There isn't much of a night life in the villages yet, without constant protection from the shinobi. Once it gets dark out, people flee inside their homes in hopes of avoiding bandits and other ne'er-do-wells who are out and about so late with nothing good in mind.

Sakura cleans out the room completely before picking Kuro up off hers and Manmaru's bed, clutching it safely into her fist before turning to Madara. "I'm ready. Let's go."

They head out and leave the inn. Sakura drops her keys at the front counter on their way out. Madara looked curious about the storage seals, like he wanted to ask about them, but then decided against it, probably deciding that they will have time to talk about it later.

"Who's that?" Madara asks, nodding down to the doll in Sakura's hand.

"Kuro," Sakura says. "He's Manmaru's buddy, I suppose. He can't sleep at night without him. Got to make sure not to forget him. Manmaru would lose his mind if I forgot him." Sakura smiles a bit before looking over at Madara. "You don't think that's stupid, do you?" She says, eyes narrowed, slightly.

Madara shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm not exactly the sentimental type. I guess it doesn't matter if he has something he loves. My father never encourage attachment for us, so I never had toys that I found precious to me." Madara's eyes adapt this far away look, like he's seeing something he hasn't seen in a long time. Or thought about in a long time. "It was only people. My brothers. My mother." He shrugs his shoulders again. He doesn't look at her, pulling himself back from the place he went for a moment.

"Thank you for being understanding," Sakura says. "I would hate for Manmaru to grow up the wrong way. He shouldn't hate his family, think that emotions are weak, or be unhappy in this world. At least not by me. This world is going to be hard enough as it is because of others, the last thing he needs is for the people he's suppose to be able to love and trust in the world are the ones who hurt him."

Madara hums in agreement. They travel in silence for a few more minutes, Madara's eyes flickering over to her a few times before saying, easily, "That cat is missing an eye."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Sakura says, rolling her eyes. "Yes, well, you aren't the only one with battle scars."

Madara smiles faintly, but doesn't respond.

They make their way back to Izuna, Tobirama and Hashirama. This time, however, Hashirama is holding Manmaru now, cradling him delicately in his arms. Izuna is only a foot away, looking down at Manmaru with large dark eyes.

They turn to Sakura and Madara as soon as they jump down into the clearing and make their way over to them.

"You're good with him," Sakura says, reaching out and running her fingers through Manmaru's long pitch black hair, looking so tiny in Hashirama's arms. Like the little baby he is in her eyes.

Hashirama smiles at her. "You think so? I used to always take care of my little brothers with my mom." He rocks Manmaru a bit. He takes a moment to stare down at Manmaru's little face before passing him over to Sakura. She takes him into her arms and kisses him over and over again in his hair before letting him sleep without her bothering him.

"Thank you," Sakura says to Hashirama, then to Tobirama, who was watching the tree line in the corner of his right eye. "Thank you."

Tobirama nods slowly but doesn't say anything.

"Sorry," Izuna says to Madara. "It has... been a long time since I last help someone so small. It's different when he's asleep than when he's awake." Izuna looks bashful. He rubs at the back of his neck. Madara quirks an eyebrow at him and shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it, Izuna," Madara mumbles. "Big baby." Izuna glares at him, snarling something under his breath that Madara waves away.

"We are going to be heading back now," Hashirama says, raising his arms up over his head in a long stretch before settling back onto his feet. "I'm surprised no one has come running to see what has taken us so long. We will speak again tomorrow, Madara. Goodnight."

Madara nods. "We will have to start preparing for the move. Goodnight, brother. Thank you."

Hashirama waves before winking at Sakura. "Skipper."

"Hashirama," Sakura says back, then to his little brother. "Tobirama."

Tobirama nods to her, then to the Uchiha brothers before he and Hashirama head out, quickly disappearing into the tree line and out of sight.

"Alright," Izuna says. "We should head home too."

"Agreed. You take her to our home, Izuna," Madara says. "I'll meet you there."

Sakura adjusts Manmaru in her arms. "Where are you going?"

"I have to speak to the Elders," Madara says.

"About Manmaru?" Sakura asks, a strange shiver of panic running through her that she doesn't immediately understand. Thankfully her voice remained even. What was that?

"No." Madara shakes his head. "That will come later. We all need sleep before we deal with that headache. About the alliance with the Senju and where we go from here. It won't be long. Izuna will stay and watch over you and Manmaru."

Sakura didn't need someone to look after her, and she almost said that, but bit her tongue. They were being nice enough to invite her into their home. Plus she wouldn't mind the extra set of eyes and ears looking out for Manmaru until Madara returns. For now, she's just going to have to deal with whatever strange feeling that has settled over her. For Manmaru's sake.

If whomever it was the killed Sakura Seto is out to get Manmaru, they are going to find that Sakura Haruno isn't so easily subdued. If anyone so much as touches a hair on that little boy's head, they are dead.


	9. Make Clear

**Author's Note: I am so sorry about the wait! I've been so busy with everything going on in my life; school, work, and other fanfictions. I am so happy that this story has gotten over three hundred reviews! I thank you all! I am so happy to have such wonderful, devoted fans! I really appreciate all of you! Thanks again! I am so sorry for the wait, I hope that you all enjoy! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Warnings: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Word Count: 5,424**

Sakura lays on the floor, on her side, lightly stroking Manmaru's face. His cries have settled and now he dreams peacefully and without care. Sakura wishes that she could go back to those days, even if for just a moment and forget about the world around her. To be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that she was completely safe where she was. That the person there with her would do anything they had to in order to protect her.

Manmaru is so precious. She loves him so much. It has only been a few short months since she got to this timeline, but it's starting to feel like a lifetime. She remembers her life easily, but this one is starting to be stored in her mind as well. Little bits and pieces of memories from Sakura Seto have been coming back to Sakura as the days go on. Mostly they are simple, mundane things that don't really hold much significance in the grand scheme of things but they helped to forge who Sakura Seto was.

Sakura lightly pushes Manmaru's long black hair away from his face, wondering if she should give him a haircut. It's hot out and his hair is pitch black. Maybe he'll want to get it off his neck. She'll have to ask him. Honestly, how Madara can do it, she'll never know. Sakura quite liked her hair short, keeping it off her neck in this blazing Konoha heat. She thought it was pretty when it was long, but she has a tough time keeping it under control with her busy schedule. She has to keep it short as to not pull it from her head when it flies all over the place.

Maybe someday she will let her hair grow out again. Maybe.

Everyone deserves to make the choice for something as simple as their hair. She'll ask Manmaru tomorrow. What does he want?

Sakura scoots closer to her son, resting her hand on his chest and closing her eyes. Those puppets got close to him. Too close. They almost touched him, got him. She's not sure what they want from him or exactly why, but she's not going to let them touch him. Manmaru is precious and innocent and beautiful. In a perfect world, he would never see anything scary or worrisome and would live peacefully and without fear until the day he dies.

Sakura curls around her son, keeping herself as alert as possible, still watching him. Then she hears it again; Madara walking the perimeter of the house for the third time. She's not sure if it's something he's naturally done seeing as he was born in raised in wartime, or if it's because Sakura and Manmaru are there, while uncertain of the why of it all, she knows he's patrolling the house to keep the inhabitants safe.

The pink haired time traveler listens to Madara's soft footsteps working their way down the wooden hallways. His feet expertly missing the creaking floorboards that Sakura stepped on when she walked down them for the first time just hours before. If Sakura didn't have her senses cranked up to the max and frequently sensing out the area, she wouldn't have know he was out there. Any of the three times. He's definitely moving about with the mindset of catching someone who shouldn't be there. No one was going to catch him off guard.

Sakura's eyes droop closed, listening to the sound of Madara soft footsteps going past the room. Sakura isn't sure how emotionally she feels about Madara in the sense of herself, but what she does know is that Madara will protect Manmaru to his dying breath. Madara loves that little boy, even in the few times they have come across one another. He seems deeply attached to the little boy. Sakura trusts Madara to protect her son. She didn't know how tired she was until she was already asleep.

* * *

Groggy, and achy, Sakura opens her eyes only to squeeze them tightly once more as the early morning light pours in through the window in front of her. She hasn't been getting enough sleep and without anything proper to lay on, she's starting to feel it in her back and shoulders. Sakura covers her eyes with her arm, letting out a low groan for a moment before forcing her arm away and to get used to the stabbing of her green orbs. Once she finally can see without the spots, she turns to look over at Manmaru, mouth open to ask him if he's hungry.

But Manmaru isn't there.

Sakura bolts upward, her entire body rigid as her eyes fly around the room, trying to locate her son. There is no sign that someone came in and took him and Kuro is laying forgotten next to her, resting in the crook of her arm, where Manmaru should be. Even the blanket she had put on her son the night before has been draped over her in a caring act, rather than anything that could have stemmed from something malicious. But Kuro stares back at her mockingly. Something happened to Manmaru and she didn't even wake up to it happening, no matter what it was. Sakura shoves the black cat aside, not emotionally attached to it like Manmaru is, and jumps to her feet, heart pounding.

Racing to the door and throwing it open, Sakura's entire body freezes as she sees Manmaru in the middle of the backyard, looking up at Madara as he holds up a kunai, holding it in his hands and explaining it to Manmaru.

Sakura's heart beats loud, but thankfully starts to slow realizing that Madara was with him and he wasn't being dragged away by some sort of puppet man to some stranger that is probably after his life. If he is with Madara, she will know that he will be protected. She's not sure how she feels about the Uchiha as a family, but she knows that Madara will look after Manmaru.

She didn't imagine the strength of his emotions when it comes to Manmaru. Madara loves him, no doubt about that. Sakura is surprised by the intensity of it all, but is also thankful. Manmaru and Madara took to one another right away, and Sakura appreciates it. At least she can relax a bit - that's definitely not going to happen - knowing that Madara will be there to look after Manmaru as well.

Sakura's body slowly starts to relax, feeling a burn through her muscles from holding them in a tense position for so long. She releases a lung-full of air once the panic starts to settle.

Manmaru pulls his eyes away from Madara, as if somehow feeling Sakura's eyes on him, to his mother, face splitting into a big smile. "Hi, Mommy! Good morning!" His smile fades in confusion at her worn look. "Mommy?"

"Are you okay?" Madara asks, also seeing the look on Sakura's face.

Sakura nods, jerkily, willing herself to calm down completely. Manmaru is fine. He's safe. Madara would look after him, she knows this. She just wished that she could trust him without worry. She knows that he is good with Manmaru and wants to be around the little boy and protect him, but Sakura still feels like she has to be the one who looks after him all the time and protect him as his first and last line of defense. She knows Madara will look after him, but she still trusts only herself to fully by the one to protect him.

Maybe more trust would come with time. She hoped so. She's too young for the level of panic that course through her the moment she realized that Manmaru was gone. She can feel herself progressing quickly in age whenever she stresses over him.

"I'm okay," Sakura says, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorframe. "I just... didn't know where you went is all, Manmaru."

"I went to play with Daddy!" Manmaru says, smiling proudly, so happy that he gets to say that.

"That's great," Sakura says, smiling a bit. "But make sure you tell me before you go, okay? Even if it's to be with Daddy. I just need to know where you are, alright?"

Manmaru grins broadly, nodding, while Madara stares at her with large, dark eyes, reading her expression with ease that she isn't able to share with him. He can tell that she was worried, upset even, but thankfully he can also see that she's not mad that Manmaru is with him, just worried that he might have wondered off. Sakura doesn't care if he's with Madara, so long as he's safe - and she knows where they are at all times if she has to go looking for them.

Sakura isn't a sensor and just has to trust that they will be where they say they will be.

"I'm sorry," Madara says. "I thought-"

Sakura shakes her head. "No, it's fine. I'm not mad about this, I just didn't think I would wake up without him by my side. It scared me, is all." She waves her hand around dismissively, thankful that they had stopped shaking.

"I'm sorry," Madara says again. "We just wanted to let you sleep in a bit more..."

"Thank you," Sakura sighs, running her hand through her hair. Her fingers catch some of the knots, but she pulls through them roughly. "Please... wake me, next time." Madara opens his mouth, shame flickering across his face, but she cuts him off. "I'm not mad, I promise. Just, please. Next time?"

Madara closes his mouth and nods.

"Manmaru," Sakura says, looking down at her son, "are you hungry? Do you want breakfast?"

"Yeah!" Manmaru jumps up and down, excitedly.

"Good," Sakura says, pushing away from the doorframe. "You make sure to listen to you daddy while I raid the kitchen and scrape something together."

"Good luck finding something," Madara warns.

Sakura sighs, hoping that the two manly men that own this house will have at least some supplies here that she will be able to make something edible for her son. She's not the greatest cook in the world, but she has definitely improved drastically since her time starting out making food pills. Her food pills still really suck - although Choji didn't ever seem to mind them - but her regular, every day cooking has actually improved greatly. And since raising Manmaru, it's only gotten better. Living out of an inn has helped her use the bare minimum for a good meal for a growing boy, after all.

"I might be sending your little brother hunting!" Sakura calls over her shoulder, starting her hunt for the kitchen.

"Hard work won't kill him!" Madara calls back.

Sakura huffs, amused. Shaking her head, she finally locates the kitchen to find that her fears are founded. There is practically nothing in the house. Sakura knew that the boys were never here, probably either out training, running missions or battling with the Senju. Their empty pantry just goes to show how often that both boys are here.

And Sakura has the audacity to take a moment to feel bad for them. This must be their life. When looking around the house, Sakura noted how empty and impersonal it all is. There is signs that people lived there, but it wasn't a lot of the time or even all that often. Little things like scrolls and the occasional shirt that was stripped off in the middle of training because their boys and what do that care?

This was what Sakura wanted to avoid, though, when it comes to Manmaru. She didn't want this to be his environment. No stable connection to anything but battle. No place that feels safe and genuine and his own. She wanted him to have something with pictures on the wall. Where people are there waiting for him, wanting to hear about his day and help encourage him to be strong and learn how to be whoever he wants to be. That is what she wanted from him. She didn't want impersonal, or lonely.

 _"She's a hussy. She seduced the boy and is now trying to pin this honest lapse in judgment on him and our clan."_

Sakura freezes at the words, feeling Sakura Seto's shame and pain as if it was her own. It fills her up like a floodgate being released. It was sudden and strong, the ring of this old memory. One that wasn't her own, but Sakura Seto's.

The horrible realization that floods in moments later makes Sakura's heart start to hurt and the pit that was forming in her stomach, to grow. Sakura has been here before. She doesn't know exactly when, or why Sakura Seto was silly enough to come here, but she's been here. Looking for Madara. But since Madara hadn't seen her since around the time he got her pregnant, he wasn't here when she was. Someone was trying to get her out of there. And they were verbally assaulting her. Her, a child with a child.

Sakura Seto's pain is devoured by Sakura Haruno's rage. Pretentious, overbearing, pompous, self-serving, egotistical, narrow-minded assholes! Sakura is nearly blinded by her rage in seconds. She has to clench her fists tightly at her side in order to try and reign it in. Her nails bite into the palms of her hands, creating crescents in the flesh. She closes her eyes and takes a few short breaths before she starts to relax again.

Now this was a whole new piece of information.

Pregnant Sakura Seto must have gone looking for Madara after she realized she was pregnant, but couldn't find him. She found his family and they were none too nice to her, it seems. Sakura is sick and tired of two people doing something - in this case, having sex - and the girl getting blamed for it. It's like boys can't do wrong in this time. She knows that she thought about it before, that she was surrounded by a lot of manly men that grew up in a time that encouraged male supremacy but Sakura's going to set them straight.

 _That_ is for sure.

Manmaru being here isn't a necessity - well, kinda. She still has to figure out who is controlling those puppets and what exactly they want, so being with the Uchiha is an added protection bonus - so she's willing to walk away from them in an instant. Sakura has no problem with the Uchiha clan - or, like, she didn't really until just now - but Manmaru deserves the chance to get to know his family. She loves him and wants him to be happy.

Sakura knows that Manmaru is going to want to get to know all of his family, but Izuna and Madara could be enough. Sakura won't decide how he lives his life in the future, but seeing as he's only five right now, Sakura isn't going to waste a moment before surgically cutting every single one of them from his life. He is not going to be walking around this compound as "Madara's Bastard". That shit is not going to happen. Sakura will pound every single one of them into the dust until they start to get the point, or they are all dead.

Sakura can take the whispers and the jabs and the looks - she doesn't care. But they aren't going to look at Manmaru that way. Just like she's not going to let Madara ruin his chances with Manmaru as his father, she's also not going to let Madara's clan ruin this between father and son. Manmaru has done nothing wrong. He deserves his father. And Sakura's starting to get the feeling that Madara deserves it too.

But she has to set Madara straight right away. She is not going to let anyone - even an Uchiha - get away with mistreating her son. Maybe it's a strong combination of Sakuras Seto and Haruno's protectiveness and Haruno's quick temper, but Sakura isn't going to let anyone play games with Manmaru's heart. This is about him ultimately being happy. No one is going to mess this up. Once he's old enough to make his own decisions, Sakura will back off, but until then, Madara needs to understand that there is going to be a very clear line of acceptable behavior around her son.

He's five years old and very impressionable already and he's going to take a lot after the people around him. Especially his family. Sakura heard that persons words so crystal clear, she doubts that whomever they were cared at all about her - just judging by what they said - to wait until she wasn't even in front of them any longer. Sakura's got thick skin. She can swallow the hurt and accept it for what it is, but Manmaru is still so little and could easily be destroyed by it. Sakura thinks back to the time when she was eight. The things those mean girls said - while paling in comparison to things that she heard later in life - gave her a complex that she has to this day.

Maybe... maybe Sakura is being too protective.

No, she can't worry about that now. She has to protect Manmaru. She'll worry about backing off later on in his life. For now, he needs her, and she needs him. She'll protect him as fiercely and fervently as she must in order to keep him safe. As a boy and the eldest child of a clan leader - of the Uchiha clan, no less - he's going to have to live through a tough life.

"Alright," Sakura says to herself, having finally settled down. "Let's see what we can find."

* * *

Manmaru is munching away on his breakfast - which was literally just thrown together - happily. Sakura sits beside him, watching as he eats while running her fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face. It falls around his face and touches his shoulders. Unlike Sakura and Madara who both have thick hair, his is pretty thin. It'll probably thicken as he gets older. For now, it's soft and wispy.

"So..." Sakura says slowly, watching the side of Manmaru's face. "I remembered something, when I got here. Something I wanted to talk to the two of you about. A bit of a concern of mine, if you will."

"What is it?" Izuna asks, taking a bite of one of the apples he gathered up earlier that morning.

"I think I came here once before," Sakura admits, finally looking over at the two older boys. Madara is sitting directly across from her, staring at her, while Izuna was looking down at his apple, about to take another bite, before he processes her words, pausing.

"What?" Izuna asks.

"What does that mean?" Madara asks, voice flat.

"I don't remember much, but I think I came here while I was pregnant," Sakura says, tucking a loose strand of black hair behind Manmaru's pale ear. "I was not greeted so kindly. I was accused of trying to tin Manmaru on you, Madara, and sent on my merry way. I'm guessing they never told you about me coming to see you. I don't think I ran into you while I was here." Sakura looks back over at a blank faced Madara. The only shift in his expression was the downward tilt to the corners of his lips.

Madara stares back at her, looking into her eyes so deeply. It's like he's trying to see what she saw. Hear what she did.

"What did they say?" Madara asks, his voice cold and lips now pressed flat together.

"All I can recall is 'She's a hussy. She seduced the boy and is now trying to pin this honest lapse in judgment on him and our clan.'," Sakura says, scratching at her scalp a bit.

"That sounds like..." Izuna starts, before stopping himself, dark eyes wide as he looks over at Madara. "The only person who calls you 'my boy' is -"

"I know," Madara snarls, glaring at his brother, before catching Manmaru's head snap up to look at Madara with wide black eyes. Madara looks away, hiding the angry twist of his facial features with his hair, trying to calm his anger. He's turned toward Izuna, giving his brother full access to his face. Izuna stares at him, eyebrows pulled together tightly. He looks like he wants to say something to his older brother, but he doesn't know what to say.

Sakura is curious about who this person was that they mentioned. But she doesn't ask. If they want to tell her, they will, and if they don't, she's sure that they'll show up again in her life. Nasty people like whomever said that is bound to be out there somewhere. Just preparing to reappear and make a mess out of things. But Sakura isn't going to let them bother her. They just have to stay away from Manmaru.

"Daddy," Manmaru calls softly, tilting his head to the side, "are you okay?"

Madara waits a moment, trying to keep his thoughts in check and off his face, before turning to look at Manmaru. There is a thin crease between his eyes and a downward tilt to his lips. "I am alright, Manmaru."

"You've got a funny look on your face," Manmaru says, blinking a few times before opening his eyes really wide.

Madara sighs. "Yes, I bet I do." He brings up one of his hands and roughly rubs at his face a few times, probably using it to calm himself down so that his facial expression can fall neutral by the time he looks over at his son again.

Manmaru grabs one of the apple pieces that Sakura cut up for the little boy, and holds it out to his father. "Here, daddy! Here! Try it!"

Madara shakes his head. "No, Manmaru, you eat it. It's your breakfast. Your mother and Uncle made sure you got something to eat."

Manmaru blinks up innocently at his father. "It's _really_ good!" He holds it out a little bit more for his father to take. He opens his eyes as far as they will go, making his black pupil and irises swim in a sea of white. Izuna looks amused by the look while Madara quirks an eyebrow for a moment before sighing, reaching out and taking the apple piece.

Madara eats the piece slowly. "Thank you, Manmaru. It is very good."

Manmaru beams, grabbing another piece and eating it, happily.

Sakura runs her fingers through the little boy's hair again, looking over at the two brothers, who seem like they are hypnotized, watching her hand moving. "Guys?" They both look at her. "I just want to make something clear: I don't care about who said what. What they said about me doesn't matter. What does matter is that my son is coming into a very negative situation at the get go."

Both young Uchiha men look somber.

"It's going to be very confusing for the clan to have a clan heir that's already so old," Izuna says. "No one even knew that Madara had a child - well, I mean, no one other than the elders, I suppose." He frowns at that.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Sakura says, finally resting her arms on the table in front of her. "I'm talking about the fact that your elders chased me out before. They refuse to except Manmaru as Madara's son. Jeez, by the way they made it sound, it was like I held him down and had my way with him without his permission," Sakura grumbles.

"That's wrong," Madara says, sharply, drawing Sakura's eyes up to his own. "I was there of my own free will. I'm the older of the two of us. I knew exactly what I was doing. There is no dispute about it. He is my son. My heir. I want him."

Sakura stares at him, slightly surprised. She knows that she shouldn't be, especially because of his reactions since meeting Manmaru have been extreme but very loving. "You want him to be your heir?"

Madara tilts his head to the side, as if he didn't understand the question. "Of course. He is my son, my first born. It is his birthright to be my heir."

"I'm not your wife," Sakura says, watching as Madara's face twitches slightly. "You would still accept my son as your clan's heir?" Izuna looks at his brother's face slowly, studying his face. Knowing him far better than Sakura does, Izuna seems to see something on his brother's face. His own thin eyebrows pull together slightly, a crease forming between his eyes.

"That doesn't matter," Madara says, voice flat. "When it comes to my heir, it's my blood that matters. He is mine. Those that believe the two parents need to be married in order for the child to be legitimate is shit." A quick glance at Manmaru. "It's bull," he quickly corrects himself. Sakura smiles faintly before her lips fall flat once more, intrigued by his words.

Madara sighs, staring at his son before reaching across the small table to pat the top of his head delicately. "Just because you are not my wife, Sakura, doesn't mean I had no part in bringing this boy into the world. Our relationship doesn't affect the fact that he is my son." Manmaru looks up at his father, mouth full of apple pices, chewing.

"Thank you for saying that," Sakura says, somehow feeling relieved by his words.

Sakura figured that Madara would feel that way, just by what she's seen from him, but it offers a great sense of relief from Sakura just knowing that for certain from his own lips. Madara wants Manmaru. Madara claims Manmaru as his own son - his _heir._ Sakura doesn't know what she thinks about Manmaru being the heir to the Uchiha clan, but understood that it was his birthright. Manmaru is an Uchiha. His black hair and eyes are proof that he has Uchiha blood.

He is Madara's son. Sakura knows this. It's just... a relief, maybe, that Madara feels the exact same. That he also realizes that his part in brining Manmaru into the world doesn't vanish because they aren't married. Sakura is his mother, Madara is his father. Sakura and Madara don't have to be in love with one another for them to love and care for Manmaru. For them to be his parents.

"Of course," Madara says softly, looking over at Sakura through long lashes. "But it's true. He's my son, and I want to be in his life."

"I'm glad," Sakura says, relief in her voice. "I just want you two to know that this isn't a game to me. I want the two of you in his life. Your his father and uncle. You are the only two I care about. If I hear anyone say anything about him, or look at him wrong, or whatever, I'm not holding my tongue or turning the cheek. I just don't want this to be a surprise to anyone. Just like I wouldn't let this war ruin his chances of a good relationship with you, Madara, I'm not going to let your family do it."

"I understand what you're saying," Izuna says, speaking up again. He puts the apple core to the side to throw away later. "But I would like to think that the clan will be a little more open to Manmaru and the situation than you give them credit for."

"Maybe," Sakura says, "but I am not ignorant. I just want this to be clear. I don't care what they say about me, but Manmaru isn't to be spoken about."

"That we can both agree to," Madara says, adjusting the way that he's sitting into a more comfortable position. "My son shouldn't be put in the middle of anything. He is independent of the two of us. He shouldn't be blamed for our actions."

Well, Sakura wouldn't exactly put it like _that._ He almost makes it seem like it was a mistake. Not that Manmaru was a mistake, but their act was. Well, sure. Sakura would say that it wasn't smart for two stupid kids to have sex and get pregnant, but she was also aware that times were different now. Sakura Seto was from a small, no named village and fell in love with a clan-born ninja that was in a war with another clan. Sakura Seto was born in the nasty, unfortunate time, were woman didn't have the same rights as men. Kunoichi weren't common in this day and age.

Woman of any prominence weren't common in this time.

But that isn't Sakura Haruno's problem. She doesn't care what people think of her, they will come to understand that she isn't going to be walked all over because she was a woman. She was going to raise Manmaru right. He was going to learn that women are just as important as men. She was going to prove that the world didn't revolve around men. It revolved around them all. They were all equal.

Madara was right, though. Their relationship has nothing to do with their ability to be parents to this adorable little boy.

There is a knock on the door. Izuna stands up, disappearing toward the front of the house to answer it.

"I will make it clear to my family who the two of you are," Madara says, looking away from Izuna's disappearing figure to Sakura. "There won't be any misunderstanding. If they say or do something, let me know. I can't have you going around picking fights with my clansmen."

"I can't promise I won't just react," Sakura warns.

"Fair enough," Madara says. "But I don't want anyone to get hurt. I can discipline my people. If they don't seem to understand than I won't stop you. Just... tell me first. I don't want to be called away from everything that I'm doing every time an idiot say something they shouldn't."

Sakura holds up her hands in surrender. "Alright. I'll agree to try and keep a cool head. I promise that I'll try."

Madara nods. "Thank you."

"Madara!" Izuna calls from the front of the house.

"What?" Madara called back.

"The elders have called for a meeting! They want you to come, as soon as possible!" Izuna rounds the corner and into the room.

Madara looks exasperated. "Fine. I'll go. Izuna, stay here."

"Madara," Sakura says, looking at the young clan leader, "I don't need a babysitter. If Izuna usually goes with, he can go. This is probably clan business. I can busy our time by doing more exorsizes with Manmaru. You both will be back soon, right?" Sakura shrugs. "It's fine. Go."

"Are you sure?" Izuna asks, leaning against the doorframe.

"Positive, go. Settle whatever needs to be settled, we'll be here when you get back," Sakura says. She looks down at Manmaru, who smiles up at her, unknowing of what is going on. "We'll wait here, right, Manmaru?"

"Right!" Manmaru says, excitedly, his grin brightening.

Madara pushes to his feet, his knees and ankles cracking. "Okay," Madara says, "we'll go. We'll be right back."


	10. Unseen future

**Author's Note: I am so sorry about the long wait! I have been so busy with everything that I have been taking my time with this one. I'm not really sure how I feel about it, but it is a little necessary. Thank you to the handful of you that might still be out there cheering this story on! I appreciate it! I do hope that you guys enjoy this one! Thank you for being so patient with me! Enjoy!**

 **Warning: Language, OOCness, Un-beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **Word Count: 5,240**

"Mommy, look! I found a beetle!"

Sakura glances up from the scrolls that she had pulled out of her pockets and pack, sitting around her. She can see Manmaru's back pointed toward her, as he's bent at the waist, looking down at the aforementioned beetle. It must have drawn close to him, because he yelps and jumps back, not wanting to be touched by it. He doesn't go that far, though, as he stomps his little feet into the grass in his excitement. He still wants to look at the bug, but he doesn't want it to touch him. Cute.

"Oh, yeah?" Sakura knew nothing about beetles. That was more Shino's field than her own.

"Yeah!" Manmaru exclaims happily. "It's huge!"

He lowers back down onto his hunches, drumming on his kneecaps with his fingers. He makes sure to keep a safe distance from the bug, but still close enough that he can watch it with large, curious eyes.

Sakura scratches at the back of her head, watching him for a moment longer before looking back down at her scrolls. She brought with her a decent amount of supplies from Konoha when she was going to help Naruto and Hinata to look for Hanabi. She wasn't all that sure she knew what she was going to be running in to so she tried to prepare for anything and everything that she could think of. Just to be safe. She runs her fingers through her hair a few times, trying to work out the stress building upon her shoulders by gently messaging her scalp. It helps, but only a little bit.

Sakura lets out another sigh, staring down at her discarded headband, a symbol of the home she can never return to, yet isn't quite ready to completely part with just yet. She might not ever be able to return to her own timeline, but she's not just going to forget it like it never existed in the first place. It was who she was. It was what built her. Her home, her friends, her family, her life before she was brought here. Sakura Haruno and Sakura Seto are two entirely different people, but their core values are similar enough that people who knew Sakura Seto can't really tell too much of a difference.

And if they can, it can all be chalked up to years apart, an unknown child, hardship of life and the memory loss that she's going to use to its absolute fullest until she can get all of Sakura Seto's memories. Or, at least, enough of them to get a pretty full picture of her life before Sakura brutally invaded it and took over. Sakura has been trying hard for the people that Sakura Seto loved here, in the timeline that Sakura Haruno now lives in, but she's also not ready to let go of the people and the place - and the time - that forged her.

They may not need her anymore, but she somehow still owed them. At the very least, to remember them. That is the lowest form of honor that Sakura could give them.

* * *

Sakura walks slowly around Manmaru. They went through the hand signs again and did some meditation and Sakura moved on to chakra control exercises, thoroughly impressed by his control already, even as a five-year-old. Which, Sakura supposed if she really thought about it, did make sense. Sakura herself had impressive chakra control. When she had nothing, she had impeccable control over her chakra. She hasn't seen for absolute certain with this Madara, but she was fairly sure that the Madara of her time had pretty impressive chakra control as well.

It's been a few hours since Madara and Izuna left to go and face down the elders of the Uchiha for whatever it was that they called to their attention to.

"Is it good, mommy? Did I do good?" Manmaru asks, going through the hand signs again without any mess-ups.

"You did do good, baby," Sakura says sweetly, reaching out to pet down his messy dark hair. He grins up at her broadly, his dark eyes sparkling at her praise. He jumps up to his feet, looking up at Sakura.

"Mommy, I want to try tree walking again!" He says, fired up. He reaches out and grabs onto her hands, jumping up and down in his excitement. They tried this a few days ago, and like his momma, he was a quick study. He almost had it day one. Sakura's sure that he's going to get it today. She can just feel it. While she would really like to take all the credit for his impressive growth in such a short time, but she would have to guess that a lot of it would probably have to come from the actual clan parent.

But unless somehow proven otherwise, Sakura chooses to believe that she had quite a bit to do with it.

So, that's where they go next. Sakura holds onto Manmaru's hands, standing on the tree, coaxing him to step up there. He's shaking and his feet keep sliding back down the rough bark. She's patient, telling him different ways to move his chakra, anything to help him out. After a few failed first attempts, that little tongue sticks out between his lips and his face contorts into one of complete concentration. Sakura just quietly coaches with a soft expression on her face when movement catches her eye.

Madara and Izuna both standing at the side of the house, watching.

Izuna is watching curiously, his eyes studying the little boy's wobbly legs and flickering chakra. How he clings to Sakura's arms not wanting to fall again like he's done dozens of times since they've started again and the last time they tried it too. Izuna is analyzing every little movement, probably able to see what Sakura can tell as Manmaru's problem: he's too tense and too in his head. He needs to relax.

Madara is watching too, but there is something softer in his expression. He sees what Izuna sees, but he is looking beyond that. He's seeing something more than just a little boy who's trying to learn how to walk on trees. He sees his son. It's only been a few days, yet Madara's blatant acceptance of his son and the unconditional love that seems to swim in his eyes whenever he looks at Manmaru, Sakura can't help the small smile that starts to work its way across her face when she sees it.

Manmaru takes a few more steps before his feet slide out from under him, his grip on his chakra faltering. Sakura grabs onto his hands and holds him as his legs dangle toward the ground. He yelps in fear, dark eyes wide as he stares up at Sakura, silently begging her not to drop him. Sakura smiles at him. This fall would only bruise him, but she wasn't going to let him go.

She pulls her son closer to him until he kicks out his legs back toward the trunk of the tree, managing to stick to it once more. And they continue, inching back as he continues to work on his chakra control. While they go, Sakura thinks about when she was doing this as a shinobi. Sakura was over twice Manmaru's age when she had learned. Given, she did learn it almost immediately, but she wanted him to know how to do it. If he could learn it, she wanted it to be in his arsenal. It's the same with medical ninjutsu. She wanted to teach that to him too.

Although, she concedes that she will have to wait until he's a bit older before that. But, it's never too early for him to learn herbology.

He wasn't going to be raised as she was. He wasn't going to misunderstand what it means to be a shinobi. He was going to be strong, confident and have all the tools that Sakura can provide to keep him safe. If he can learn it now, then why shouldn't he? So long as his life isn't strictly training, it should be okay. If it's a practical skill that he can use, well, Sakura won't mind.

* * *

Manmaru runs at Madara, jumping into his arms. "Did you see, Daddy? Did you see? I did it!" Madara lifts him up, holding him close.

"I did," Madara says, offering a tiny smile to his son. "You are doing well. Just a little bit more now and you'll be able to tree walk like a pro."

"Just like Daddy?" Manmaru asks, grinning up at Madara with crinkles around his crested eyes and little nose. "Maybe even _better_ than Daddy?"

Izuna laughs with Madara's little chuckle, reaching out and fluffing Manmaru's mess of a mop of hair on his head. "You haven't been an Uchiha for more than a few hours and you're already competing to be the best of us. You'll fit in just fine."

Sakura isn't necessarily sure she's a big fan of that thought, but Izuna doesn't appear to mean any harm in what he said, plus Sakura has to keep in mind that the culture within a clan is a very different dynamic than what she's used to, never mind it's during an age where family is the only people that can be trusted. No matter what. It's not too much different than Sakura's time if she thinks about it. But now she's somewhat interlocked into a clan dynamic by having a child that is clan born. Sh may not be part of the clan, but through Manmaru she's connected.

It's just going to take some adjusting, she supposes. For both Manmaru and Sakura. And once the rest of the clan learns about Manmaru, Sakura, and the situation, then it's going to be adjusting on a clan-wide scale.

She has a feeling that moment is fast approaching. Especially with the look settling over Madara's face. Like he wants to hold on to these precious moments alone with his son while he can. Sakura has a sneaking suspicion what this meeting might have been about. Or what may have come up at some point during it. Sakura's guess would probably be at the end of the meeting, right before they high tailed it out of there.

"Let's try it, daddy!" Manmaru says, twisting his head around to look over his shoulder at the tree once more, fired up and ready to try again to impress his father.

Madara's eyes shine with affection and pride even with this tiny little smile on his face. "And we shall, Manmaru, but later. Take a bit of time to rest and build up your strength again. There is still plenty of time for your." The little boy pouts, wanting to impress his father right then and there. Too impatient to wait.

Thankfully, someone was thinking about the time that passed while they were in their meeting along with the fact that they don't have any food in their house because Izuna nods toward it with his eyes still on Manmaru and says, "Who's hungry?" Forgetting that he wanted to impress his father, or realizing he was hungry, either way, Manmaru's attention is easily shifted from the tree to the prospect of getting something to eat.

"Oh! Yes! Food! Mommy, I want to eat!" He whips his head around to look at Sakura. His dark eyes widen even further in excitement. He moved so quickly Sakura flinched in fear that he would break his neck.

"Who am I to deny a growing boy food?" Sakura asks through her grimace. Manmaru doesn't appear to notice, wiggling from Madara's arms and running off toward the house with renewed vigor.

Late lunch or early dinner is top notch. A buffet fit for a king. There is an assortment of all sorts of foods, and honestly, Manmaru's mouth isn't the only one watering at the sight of it. Sakura hasn't had a decent meal like this in a long time. She hopes that she isn't going to be fed like this every day or she's going to need bigger clothes.

While they are eating, Sakura says, flippantly, "You were away for a while this morning."

"The meeting ran long," Madara says, a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"Anything interesting come up?" Sakura says, looking at him from across the table, giving Manmaru a little side glance. He's struggling to use his chopsticks. He's using his fingers to help him cheat. Sakura smiles faintly, shaking her head a little bit before looking back over at the two brothers across the table. She reaches over with her left hand and runs her fingers through the youngest boy's long, black hair.

"No," Izuna says. "Madara chickened out."

Madara glares at Izuna. "I didn't. I just..." he hesitates, sparing a glance at Manmaru for a moment before sighing, "I just don't want to share him just yet. I just met him. I deserve to have more time with him before he's swarmed."

Sakura catches a smile on her lips. That was probably the sweetest thing she has ever heard anyone else say. It was pure and honest. Sakura can only hope that Manmaru, when he gets old enough, will understand the true depth of those words. It's still somewhat hard for Sakura to associate this good man with the one that used to haunt her nightmares, but even she is intuned enough to know just how powerful those words are. It's still hard for Sakura to wrap her mind around what she was briefly exposed to during the war and the man that she has met in this time coupled with Sakura Seto's memories of him.

There is a lot to take into consideration.

It's taking a lot to adjust to, but life may not be so bad if this is how it's mostly like. Maybe.

"So what took so long, if you don't mind me asking?" Sakura asks, reaching out to push some of Manmaru's hair behind his ear and out of his mouth. He doesn't appear to notice, to busy off in his own little world. He's munching away on his food, looking around at the kitchen as if he's never been there before, still not used to his new home just yet, like Sakura.

"Trying to decide on how we are going to move forward with the Senju clan," Madara says. He scratches at the back of his head, running his fingers through his huge black mane of hair. Sakura half expected his fingers to get caught on knots, but they slide through without hindrance. Upon slightly closer inspection, it actually looks more curly than knotty. Sakura wishes she could run her fingers so easily through her own hair without difficulties. Her hair is thick, but not nearly as thick as Madara's and he seems to not have any problems.

Uchiha.

"What's the plan?" Sakura asks.

"Well," Madara rubs at the back of his head for a moment more before looking over at Izuna, considering something. After a moment, he looks back at Sakura, "I'm going to send a messenger to Hashirama later on today to see when he wants to meet up to go to this land that he's been scouting for us to build our new home."

"New home?" Manmaru asks, finally joining in on the conversation. "We aren't home?"

"No, buddy," Izuna says, grinning at the youngest in the room across from him. "Now that our business is done with, we need to find someplace to start our village. It's what your dad has always wanted." His smile is weak, and weary, leaving Sakura a little worried about the future. She's not sure she's a fan of that look on his face.

"Village?" Manmaru echoes, dark eyes wide. Then something makes a connection and he's suddenly bouncing in his seat in excitement. "I want to go back to Tanzaku Town, Mommy! I want to see Yuzu-san!"

Sakura blinks in surprise, not having expected that. Although, it does make sense. While Sakura Seto was away, Manmaru stayed with Yuzu and her family. He probably got pretty close to them. Maybe when everything is said and done, maybe Yuzu and her family can come and live with Sakura and Manmaru in what will one day become Konohagakure. Maybe that would be a good way of repaying the older woman for everything that she's done, especially seeing as she seems like she's been having it tough for a while now. It could be Sakura's way of starting to pay her back.

At least a little bit.

Sakura's not all that sure there is a way to really thank someone for watching your child for an unreasonably long amount of time while you were off, well, dying, Sakura supposes, in the most callous way possible. There are still so many questions that surround that. What exactly happened to Sakura Seto? Why was she in that half buried underground facility? Who wanted her dead? Why?

Still so many questions with no answers to them. Not yet, at least. Little by little more is coming back to her.

"Maybe we will go back and see Yuzu-san in a couple of days," Sakura says.

Manmaru pouts. "How long is a few days?"

Sakura rolls her eyes. "I don't know, Manmaru. In a few days."

"How long?" Manmaru asks.

Sakura pushes his cheeks together with her hands to force his lips to purse out like a fish. "I don't know, Manmaru. We have to stay and support your daddy and the important transition your father's family is going through right now."

Sakura doubts that Manmaru actually understands, and the look on his face leads to her to know irrefutably that he doesn't. "But I want to see Yuzu-san..."

"Sakura," Madara says slowly but Sakura shakes her head at him before turning her eyes to Manmaru again.

"Manmaru, this is important to your daddy. We have to support him," Sakura says. She releases her hold on his cheeks and simply cups them in both of her hands, staring into his beautiful dark eyes. "Don't you want to be able to support Daddy and his dream?"

Manmaru blinks a few times, thinking about what Sakura was saying, but not really understanding. "Daddy's dream?" He tilts his head as much as he can with Sakura holding onto his face still. He looks in the corner of his eye at his father, who was staring back at him with a peaceful, relaxed look on his face. A part of Sakura was worried that Madara may have been insulted by her basically telling him to be quiet, but he doesn't seem like he minded all that much. Best not to push her luck, though.

"Yes," Sakura says, brushing his long black hair out of his face. "This union between the Senju clan and Uchiha clan is very important for us as a people, and for your daddy. This is his dream. They are going to build something wonderful if they get the time and the chance. That's why we can't just run off, Manmaru. We have to stay and support daddy. We will see Yuzu-san, I promise. Just not right now." Especially seeing as someone might be after the little boy. Sakura's not quite ready to put his life in danger, even if it is to see someone that she genuinely likes.

Maybe, later on, she really can ask about Yuzu and her family moving to what will one day be Konoha. But still, that is for a later date.

"Okay..." Manmaru says, pouting cutely. He looks down, butterfly eyelashes covering his eyes. "Later then." He says more for himself then for Sakura. As if to reassure himself that he would be able to see Yuzu again soon. So cute.

Sakura huffs a bit, smiling before finally releasing his face and turning back to their meal. Her eyes catch Madara's with this soft expression on his face that throws her off. "What?"

Madara shakes his head, looking away. "Nothing."

* * *

"Manmaru, stop running, I mean it!" Sakura yells, listening to the loud padding of little feet running down the halls around them as he races the house.

He slows down with somewhere down the hall with a long, drawn out, "Awww Mommy!"

"Stop running, Manmaru! I mean it." Sakura warns, shaking her head with a little smile on her lips. She looks back at the brothers across from her. "Sorry about that, keep going."

"I was saying," Izuna says, a smirk crossing his face, "that we need to decide on how to broach the Manmaru topic. How we want to go about it."

"I agree," Sakura says easily, twisting to the side so that she can stretch her legs out next to her now that Manmaru is no longer sitting next to her, she has room on her side of the table. She rolls her ankles around a bit, listening to them pop and crack. "Surely you guys have been thinking about this. You've known about him for a little while now."

"We've been spitballing ideas," Izuna says, scratching the back of his head. "But Madara wanted your opinion on how we proceed."

"Why?" Sakura asks, looking over at Madara. "You're his father."

"You're his mother," he fires back quicker than Sakura was ready for.

She stares back at him in shock, her brain taking a moment to absorb that information before nodding very slowly. "Okay. Point taken. Thank you for letting me in on this with you guys. So, I suppose the better question would be, what do you guys want to do? They are your family. You know them. I don't."

The look both brothers shared doesn't offer Sakura lot of faith in how this is all going to play out. Something tells her this situation is going to go downhill almost immediately. Then again, Sakura isn't all that sure she was willing to believe that a surprise child isn't going to just stir things up, especially in a high ranking clan like the Uchiha. It might not be that unusual in this day and age for a child to be born out of wedlock by a high-ranking member of a famous clan so long as the child doesn't show signs of having the family's kekkei genkai, but they typically aren't recognized as anyone special in the clan and most are never the wiser.

Madara is the clan leader of the Uchiha, and he says he wants Manmaru to be his heir, which is very unusual. Sakura sure hopes that he knows what he's doing. Not that Sakura minds Manmaru being with his father, and that he is simply taking his birthright as Madara's oldest son. That means so much more than Sakura's sure she's able to understand. She has to wonder what his future wife will think about that. Any child that she bears for him will always be second to Manmaru. Who knows, maybe whoever she is, won't mind that there won't ever be a problem.

But Sakura would hate if it did become one. Especially if she turns out to be a psycho and takes her craziness out on little Manmaru.

"We keep going back and forth," Madara admits. "They have to know, and I'm sure they aren't going to take it too gracefully, but they have to know."

"Are you sure you want him as your heir?" Sakura blurts out, unable to stop herself. At Madara's surprised look, Sakura knew she had to be quick to explain, already seeing anger boiling in those dark eyes. "I know you said you wanted him as your heir, but have you really thought about it? It wouldn't be blown too much out of proportion if you acknowledged him, but didn't make him your heir."

"He's my son," Madara says, voice flat. "His place is my heir. Unless he chooses that's not what he wants. He's my heir."

"What about your wife?" Sakura asks.

"I'm not married," Madara says, mildly surprised by the switch of topics.

"Not now, but what about when you do? And you and she have children? Do you think whoever she is will be able to accept that?" Sakura runs her hand through her hair.

"Oh," Madara says, catching her understanding. He looks away for a moment, considering.

"This is what he wants to do," Izuna says, drumming his fingers against the wooden table around their forgotten meal from the day. "Brother rarely makes a decision without thinking about it."

"I understand," Sakura says. "I just don't want us to go through hell with your family if it's all for nothing later."

"You think I would strip Manmaru of his claim to my family?" Madara asks, insulted. Now he's not surprised. He's mad. It wasn't Sakura's intention, but she's worried she's doing more harm than good.

"No," Sakura denies. "I don't mean that. I just don't want there to be an issue later on because of this."

Madara shakes his head, a hard look on his face. "Unfortunately, despite our reputation, I can't see into the future, so I don't know what the future holds for us, but what I do know is that I won't ever just take his right away from him. He is my son. I told you, I want him. I don't want anyone else. And you don't have to worry about anyone else. Any other woman."

Sakura blinks in surprise. "Oh, I'm not worri-"

"I'm not going to marry."

Izuna nearly breaks his neck with how quick he looks at Madara. "Not now, you mean."

Madara shakes his head. "No, not ever. I'm not going to marry." Sakura isn't too surprised by that, seeing as far as she knew, the Madara of her time never married or had children, but with all of the differences that she has witnessed between this Madara and the one of her time, she just assumed that this would probably the case too. Well, yes, there is a difference between the two Madaras. One's bloodline died with him, the other... well, he has Manmaru.

It's Madara's choice not to marry, it doesn't affect Sakura too much either way - although Sakura Seto is in pain for him - but she does feel bad that he might be making this decision based almost solely on Sakura and Manmaru, which isn't her intention.

"Don't avoid finding someone to marry for Manmaru's sake," Sakura says. "You deserve to be happy with someone."

Madara looks genuinely hurt. "I know what I deserve. I know very well. Perhaps I will change my mind, but not now." He folds his hands neatly in front of him. "As for my family, I suppose simply ripping the bandage off will have to work."

Not sure what to say in regards to the future - and not all that sure despite the tightness in her chest from Sakura Seto that he has any right to say anything at all, let alone have an opinion at all - Sakura simply ignores his earlier comment and moves right on to Manmaru. "So, what do you want to do? Walk through the compound with him holding your hand?"

Madara's smile is wane. "If we must." He lets out a little sigh. "I know that I have to speak with the elders first. After that, I do think that we will just have to expose Manmaru to the clan and let the shock wear off."

"If it doesn't kill any of them first," Izuna says, scratching at the side of his head. His eyes flicker up, blinking a few times in surprise before a little smile crosses his lips. "You have to admit, he's quiet." The most tender smile spreads over Madara's face as he looks at something over her shoulder.

"Who is?" Sakura asks right as someone behind her yells, "Gotcha!" And jumps onto her back.

"Oof!" Sakura almost slams her face into the table, barely able to use her hands to stop her before her nose ends up in the rice bowl in front of her.

"I gotcha Mommy!" Manmaru laughs in her ear. His little arms thrown over her shoulders. "I scared you, didn't I?"

Sakura pushes herself away from the table before reaching behind herself to tickle Manmaru's ribs. He squeals loudly and leaps away, but Sakura's already turning around and grabbing onto him. She pulls him to her chest and holds him there as she tickles him. He's laughing and kicking his legs out, reflexively.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" He howls with laughter, tears streaming from his eyes as Sakura tickles his ribs.

"That's for scaring me, punk!" She kisses his cheek before she stops tickling the youngest in the room. She hugs him to her until his giggling subsided. His long lashes are wet with his mirthful tears as he looks up at her.

"Did I get you, Mommy?"

Sakura snuggles to him, wishing that she could protect him forever. "Yes, Manmaru, you did. Your stealth is impressive, I must admit."

"Did you see that, Daddy? I got Mommy!" Manmaru presses his cheek against Sakura's nuzzling into her too, which just warms Sakura's heart.

"I saw, Manmaru," Madara says, still looking on tenderly.

Manmaru grins broadly at him. "There is someone at the door for you, daddy."

All of their smiles fade. "What?" All three adults say at once as if all of them heard wrong.

"Someone named Kagami is here for you, Daddy. I told him I would go get you." Manmaru smiles innocently. Izuna slaps his forehead while Madara lets out a long-winded sigh.

"I was hoping that this was going to stay our secret for a while," Madara says.

Izuna slaps his forehead again. "Yeah, seriously."

"How long as he been waiting?" Sakura asks, petting down the little boy's hair.

Manmaru taps his chin a few times in thought before deciding on, "He showed up right after you yelled at me." Now it's Sakura's turn to let out a long-winded sigh.

"Whelp, that's all you, Lord Uchiha. Good luck!" Izuna pats his older brother on the shoulder, giving him a grin. "But Kagami wouldn't just show up unannounced unless it was for a good reason."

"Yeah," he agrees. Madara climbs to his feet. "I'll be back."


End file.
